Zeke ran his hand through what was left of his hair as he stumbled in Talia’s direction. He could feel that Pudge was okay, so he’d sent Tucker after the infernal bear. Talia’s condition, though, was a mystery. So, given that the hearts he kept in his tower’s spatial storage were more effective the fresher they were, Zeke had taken it upon himself to find her. To that end, he’d set off across the battlefield.

All around him, there were bits and pieces of bodies. Demons and humans alike had been massacred and ripped apart by the demoness’s wave of mana, but even before that, the battlefield had been carpeted with corpses. Zeke picked his way through them, stumbling here and there as he covered the ground. Soon enough, he’d gone a few hundred yards, and the terrain reverted to its natural state. Still, the fatigue had taken its toll, and he found his path difficult.

After a couple of minutes, he zeroed in on a series of fallen trees. The forest looked like a tiny tornado had cut through it. Trunks were splintered, saplings had been uprooted, and the flora had been flattened. Zeke followed the trail for another hundred yards until he found Talia’s broken and battered body.

At first, he thought she was dead. Green blood covered every inch of her pale skin, much of which had been exposed by the jagged rips in her armor. Like was the case with Zeke himself, clumps of her hair had been ripped from her scalp, leaving bloody bald spots in their wake. However, as he approached, Zeke was relieved to see the barest of twitches that indicated she was still alive.

He rushed forward, sliding on his knees until he was right beside her. Up close, Talia looked even worse than his first impression had suggested. Her limbs were bent the wrong way, bones jutted out in all the wrong places, and one of her cheeks had been sheered off. However, she was still alive, as evidenced by the slight groan that escaped from between her lips when he reached down and cradled her head.

Suddenly, a warm and bloody heart appeared in his hand, and he brought it close to her lips. “I know it’s going to hurt,” he whispered. “But I need to you to take a bite, okay?”

Talia was only half-conscious, but the smell of its latent vital energy was all it took for her body to react. Of their own accord, her jaws worked, and her mouth opened and closed in a mimicry of a bite, and Zeke pushed the heart closer. Her teeth tore into the red mass of muscle, and she started to chew. The moment she swallowed, Zeke felt a swirl of mana as she instinctively activated [Focused Reformation].

The effect was instantaneous. Before his very eyes, wounds began to seal shut, bones shifted, and her flesh mended. A few seconds later, she took another bite. Then another. After the fourth swallow, Talia’s eyes fluttered open, and for a second, an expression of pure terror crossed her face. But it passed quickly, and she asked, “Did we win?”

“We won,” Zeke said with a small smile.

“Is everyone okay?” was her next question.

Zeke knew that she hadn’t meant to include the Radiant Guard or the demons, all of whom had succumbed. Instead, she referred to her companions. “Pudge is fine,” Zeke said. The infernal bear’s consciousness had grown stronger, indicating that Tucker had found him and administered a potion. “And you won’t believe this, but Tucker came through the portal. He saved us.”

“And Abby?”

“I don’t know,” Zeke said. “I came for you first.”

“Oh.”

Zeke didn’t need to see the expression on her face to recognize the surprise and gratitude she felt. For him, it had been a conscious decision to subvert his natural instincts to find Abby first. He had to keep reminding himself that Abby wasn’t part of his group anymore, that he wasn’t supposed to care about her. Of course, completely moving on in such a short amount of time was impossible, but he had made a choice. Abby was untrustworthy, and with the distance that had stretched between them, Zeke had begun to see their entire relationship in a different light.

And it didn’t paint a pretty picture of her personality. Instead, he saw how she had latched onto him, how she had consistently argued with him about every decision he made. It wasn’t that she disagreed – not really. Rather, it was a combination of a contrary demeanor and a need to prove that she knew best that drove her forward. And now that Zeke had a little room to examine the relationship, he’d begun to realize just how toxic she really was.

However, they had been together for years, and those kinds of feelings didn’t fade overnight. Instead, Zeke had to continuously remind himself not to slip back into old habits. So it was with his choice to go after Talia first, but he still itched to investigate Abby’s fate.

“Can you walk?” Zeke asked.

Talia shook her head. “I don’t…I don’t think so,” was her response. Tears flowed down her cheeks, evidence that the injection of vital energy had torn the veil from her emotions. “My legs were broken in several places, and even with [Focused Reformation], it’s going to take a little while for them to completely heal. But you go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

“No,” Zeke said, reaching down to pick her up. Hooking one arm under her knees while the other found her back, he rose. “I won’t leave you out here by yourself.”

With that, he began the trek back to the Portal of Ascension, where he could sense that Pudge had returned. Presumably, Tucker had as well.

The journey took a little less time on the way back, largely because with every passing minute, Zeke’s high vitality pushed his recovery. Still, though, they’d all almost died, and as such, it would take more than half an hour to heal.

As Zeke cleared the forest, he saw that Pudge and Tucker had indeed returned to the portal, but he saw an additional figure as well. His stomach clenched, knowing that Abby was okay. As much as he wanted to distance himself from the woman, he was glad that she hadn’t been killed. After all, he still felt some degree of love for her.

The rest of the distance went by without incident, and as Zeke approached, he noticed that Tucker had started examining the portal itself. Once Zeke set Talia down, giving her an additional heart to fuel her recovery, he mounted the steps leading up to the platform and joined the big alchemist.

“What are you doing?” Zeke asked.

“Making sure this thing doesn’t let any other demons through,” Tucker said, placing a familiar blue crystal in the middle of one of the carved runes that decorated one of the twin pedestals on either side of the arch.

“You met the Purifier,” Zeke said.

“I did,” Tucker stated, standing up and brushing his hands on his thighs. “Only reason I survived. Truthfully, I don’t even know how I made it to that crystal forest before the talisman ran out of juice. I think Ramul moved it, but he would never give me a straight answer. I ended up staying in that forest for almost three months while I researched ways I could survive the atmosphere. Eventually, I stumbled on a potion that would help.”

“How did you make it out of the city? That place was still surrounded by demons,” Zeke said.

“I have my ways,” was Tucker’s cryptic response.

“You blew them up, didn’t you?” asked Zeke.

“Not all of them,” the big man answered with a grin. “Enough for a distraction, though. Then, I booked it out of there.”

“Sounds like there might be more to that story,” Zeke reasoned.

“A little, but not as much as you’d think,” Tucker said. Then, he went on, “Once I figured out the Potion of Purity – that’s what I called it; catchy, right? Anyway, once I had that, I started working on demon-killing grenades. Turns out, the Purifier’s crystals are good for that, too. I made thousands of them, and then Ramul pointed me in the direction of this portal. So, I headed this way. Long story short, I jumped out and saved your bacon.”

“Again, that seems way too simple of a story…”

“There were some detours along the way,” Tucker admitted. “And I was sitting outside that portal for almost two months before the demons came through to this side. Only reason I made it. I killed a couple of guards and hopped on through.”

“You’re going to have to tell me the whole story one day.”

Tucker shook his head. “Maybe. I see you and the others got twenty-five,” he said. “And here I thought I’d have to wait on you to catch up.”

Zeke took a moment to [Inspect] the man, and he was unsurprised to see that Tucker had advanced to the pinnacle as well. Considering that they intended to go through the portal soon, that was a good thing. After being reunited, the last thing Zeke wanted was to leave the man behind.

“That grenade splitting attack was your twenty-five skill?” Zeke asked.

Tucker nodded, scratching his beard. “Sure was,” he said. “Called [Multi-Shot]. Advanced my artisan path, too.”

“That’s awesome,” Zeke said. “About the racial evolution…”

“Got that, too,” he said. “Not sure why I got credit, but I’m not complaining. I guess the Framework decided that I’d helped enough or something. I don’t know, and I’m not about to ask too many questions about it.”

“Right,” said Zeke. At that point, Abby mounted the steps and joined them. Zeke didn’t acknowledge her presence.

“You survived,” she said, looking at Tucker.

“I did,” was Tucker’s response. “Sorry to disappoint.”

That, as much as anything told Zeke that he’d made the right decision regarding Abby. She was a hateful person. Tucker had just saved all of their lives, and she couldn’t even offer a pleasant greeting.

“Do you know how to work this thing?” Zeke asked, gesturing to the arch. The dancing rainbow of lights had dissipated the moment Tucker had placed the purifier’s crystals, and the demonic atmosphere had already begun to fade.

“Ramul gave me instructions on how to cut it off from Mal’araxis,” he said. “Anything more than that will require someone with more knowledge than me.”

“I’ll take a look, then,” Zeke stated, pushing past the man to study the runes. It didn’t take him long to figure out that the pedestals were the control panels for the entire thing. The runes were complicated, though. So, he said, “I’m going to need to study these for a while. So, we probably need to set up the tower.”

Everyone agreed, but when Zeke tried to summon the tower within a hundred yards of the portal, the ability refused to activate. However, given the heavy swirls of mana surrounding the Portal of Ascension, he’d expected as much, and he only had to retreat an additional fifty yards to make it work.

After that, Talia had recovered enough that she volunteered to go back to the ships and plunder them for supplies. Abby offered to go with her, and soon, the two were off on their task. Zeke suspected that if Abby hadn’t been equipped with a spatial bag, Talia might have refused her offer of help.

Meanwhile, Tucker and Pudge set up within the tower. Pudge hadn’t fully recovered from the battle, so, after eating what seemed like his weight in monster meat, the bear promptly passed out in the lobby. At the same time, Tucker wasted no time in heading up to his own quarters, which hadn’t really changed much since the alchemist’s disappearance.

In a lot of ways, it felt like a return to simpler times, when Zeke was completely at peace with his relationships. That didn’t last long, though. The pain of Abby’s betrayal was still too fresh for it to ever be far from his mind. So, he threw himself into his work, hoping that the distraction would be sufficient to keep his failed relationship at bay.

So it went for almost a week until Zeke felt satisfied that he understood the runic underpinnings of the portal. However, he suspected that to achieve anything more would take exponentially longer. It would take years of study to unearth all of the structure’s secrets. Still, he’d discovered enough to make a basic plan to return it to its original purpose.

Whoever had adjusted it had simply reversed the portal’s polarity by altering a handful of runes; Zeke could feel the echoes of the old glyphs and symbols, so he expected that it would be no great feat to fix them.

So, he set about doing just that. However, he’d only barely gotten into it before he realized that the undertaking was far more expansive than his original assessment suggested. Every time he adjusted a glyph, he’d see another that would need to be altered to accommodate for the changes. Before he knew it, the handful of changes had become hundreds, and he felt like he was constantly putting out metaphorical fires. Still, he persisted, and after almost two more weeks’ worth of work, he was finally satisfied with it. Now, all he needed was to remove the purifier’s crystals, and it would naturally power up.

Or explode.

Either way.

“You’re finished?” asked Tucker when Zeke returned to the base of the tower. Before, Tucker had spent almost all of his time in his lab, but after spending so much time under the dreary sky of Mal’araxis, the man had made a point to bask in the sun as often as possible. Beside him lay Pudge.

“I think so,” Zeke said.

“What does that mean?” Tucker asked.

“It means that once I remove those crystals, the portal will power up, and we’ll be able to ascend to the next plane,” Zeke stated.

“But what happens after that?” asked Abby, who’d been practicing her archery a little ways away from the tower. She’d returned when she saw Zeke approaching.

Zeke shrugged. “I have no idea,” he said. “I just know that this is how it’s supposed to be. Once we get to twenty-five, we’re supposed to head to the next plane. What happens after that is a complete mystery to me. Other than getting classes, I mean.”

“Interesting,” Tucker said.

“Can I talk to you, Zeke?” asked Abby.

“I don’t have anything to say,” was his response. Over the previous few weeks, she’d attempted to talk to him; however, Zeke had continuously resisted. He’d been telling the truth when he said that he didn’t have anything to say to her.

“Well, I do,” was her response. “And I get the sense that if I don’t say it now, I’ll never get the chance. Just give me this much, okay? You owe me that.”

Zeke didn’t really agree that he owed her anything, but he said, “Fine. When I get back, we’ll make sure everyone’s ready. Then, I guess we give this thing a go.”

He certainly wasn’t as nonchalant as he sounded; in fact, Zeke’s stomach had twisted into knots as he thought about all the ways things could go wrong. It wasn’t just that he could’ve made a mistake while rewriting the runes. While that was possible, he didn’t think it likely. After all, he’d spent much of his time checking and re-checking his work, and he was as confident as he could be about the patterns of glyphs and symbols. Rather, he was more worried about what might await on the other side of that portal.

In the Radiant Isles, he was an aberration. He’d already proven that he was the strongest human – or Cambion – on the continent, and he suspected that only a handful of monarch-tier monsters could prove his equal. But the moment he stepped through that portal, he’d be right back at square one. Sure, he expected that his foundations were firmer than most, but that only spoke to his potential. For the first time in a long while, he would be vulnerable.

Because of those thoughts, he understood why Lady Constance and her ilk hadn’t worried too much about ascending. Certainly, the demons had been a problem, but it likely wasn’t one they couldn’t overcome. Rather, they’d ignored it because it gave them an excuse to remain big fish in a little pond. Now, Zeke was faced with the same situation, and he found the prospect of ascension equally terrifying and exhilarating.

With a sigh, he pushed those thoughts aside and followed Abby into the tower. The doors shut behind them.

“What do you want?” he asked.

For a few seconds, Abby was silent. Then, she finally said, “I’m not going to ask for your forgiveness. I know I don’t deserve it. I made a lot of mistakes. I should have told you what was going on. I realize that now, and I know that my actions very nearly got everyone killed.”

“They did. Pudge still hasn’t fully recovered. Do you know he has nightmares?” Zeke said. “Almost every night. I can feel them through our bond. Millions of zombies ripping him to pieces, and he can’t fight back. He couldn’t then, and he can’t fight the memories now.”

“I…I’m sorry,” she said, hanging her head. “If I would have known…”

“You did know,” Zeke interrupted. “That’s why you didn’t say anything. You were perfectly willing to sacrifice us. That’s the difference between us, Abby. Between my friends and everyone else, I will choose my friends every single time. Sure, I’ll try my best to help where it’s needed. I’ll fight the monsters that need to be fought. I’ll save people if I can. But when it comes down to it, the rest of the world can burn if it means I can save the people I love.”

It had taken Zeke a long time to realize that. When he’d first been reborn, he had desperately tried to be the hero, avenging every wrong and saving everyone he could. However, that heroic streak had slowly shifted until, eventually, he’d come to realize that he didn’t really care that much about a bunch of strangers. He only really cared about those closest to him. Once, that had included Abby, but now? Zeke wasn’t sure, but what he did know was that he didn’t want to put her in that group.

“I…I don’t…I just need you to know that I’m sorry,” she said. “I need you to accept that I didn’t want it to happen like this.”

“But it did,” he said. “It did happen like that, Abby. You made your choices. And now, you’re going to have to live with them.”

With that, the conversation ended, and Zeke left her behind. He’d seen the tears in her eyes. He had heard the quiver in her voice. But he couldn’t allow that to affect him. Whatever they’d had was gone the moment her choices had nearly killed Pudge. If he was honest with himself, Zeke would have admitted that he could have stomached the lying. He could have endured her choices putting him in danger. But what had happened to Pudge was unforgivable.

When Zeke stepped through the tower’s huge double doors, he saw that Talia had returned as well. She was never far away these days, clinging to him like a shadow. He didn’t mind; it was nice having someone to watch his back while he worked, and it reminded him of his time spent helping Taggert build his Juggernaut Armor. Back then, she’d rarely let him out of her sight, and his work in fixing the Portal of Ascension had let her return to form.

Once Abby had joined the rest of the group outside, Zeke dismissed his tower. As it dissipated into motes, he turned to the dormant arch that he hoped would soon house the Portal of Ascension. Looking back, he said, “Maybe you should all stand back a bit. In case this thing…you know…I’m not infallible. That’s all I’m saying.”

“We’re fine where we are,” Tucker said.

“I agree,” was Talia’s contribution.

Abby remained silent, but Pudge chuffed in agreement. So, Zeke shrugged, saying, “Well, here goes nothing, I guess.”

Then, he stepped up to the first stone pedestal and removed the blue crystal Tucker had used to disrupt the flow of energy. Zeke had no idea why it had worked, and when he’d asked Tucker about it, he’d just shrugged and said that Ramul had suggested it. With that done, Zeke crossed the arch to the other side and, after taking a deep, steadying breath, removed the other crystal.

Immediately, Zeke felt the mana in the area stir. That swirl of energy soon became suction, but unlike the demoness’s ability, it was only a gentle pull. Slowly, the energy built, and the runes covering the pedestals began to glow with golden light. That glow gradually spread to the arch itself, then to the platform. In only ten minutes, the entire apparatus shone with ethereal light.

But that was nothing compared to the feeling of the mana. Before, Zeke had thought he understood the mechanisms at play, but that belief was shaken when he felt the energy building to ridiculous levels. Using his artisan path, he studied the runes, and it only took him a moment to realize that every few symbols functioned as repeaters, accentuating and accelerating the flow of mana. He had no idea how it worked – those symbols were definitely not in his repertoire – but before long, there was enough energy gathered in that apparatus to completely destroy the island. Perhaps the entirety of the Radiant Isles.

It was a good thing, then, that it was entirely stable. Otherwise, they might have been in trouble.

Finally, after another ten minutes of buildup, the golden light coalesced into a singular point within the arch. It started out no bigger than a fingertip, but it quickly grew to the boundaries of the portal. The energy continued to build for a few seconds until, at last, everything stabilized.

“Uh…I think it’s ready,” Zeke said, looking back at his companions. Their faces reflected his own wonder; even having seen as many fantastic things as they had, there was still room for amazement.

Once, Zeke had imagined this moment in his mind. The details were different because, back then, he had no concept of what the Portal of Ascension might look like. But that didn’t matter. In those fantasies, he’d stood side by side with Abby, holding her hand as they stepped through together. It was a naïve, childlike dream. They were never meant to live happily ever after, growing old together. Life didn’t work that way. They were partners by circumstance more than choice, and those sorts of pairings were always doomed.

“I should go first,” Talia suggested. “In case it is not safe.”

Zeke shook his head. “No,” was his response. “I’ll go first. Then Pudge. After that, everyone else. I don’t care what order.”

Nobody argued. They knew that he wouldn’t let anyone else step into the unknown unless he’d tested it himself. Of course, even if something went wrong, there was probably no way any of the others would be able to tell.

But when Zeke looked at the golden light, he didn’t get a feeling of malice or danger. Instead, a feeling of contentment – like everything was as it should be – swept through him. So, without further debate or conversation, he stepped through.

For the barest of instants, his entire body was suffused with that golden light, but before he could even think, it disappeared, replaced by the pervasive darkness of the void.