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Chapter Text

Rover did not remember much of the details directly following the battle with the Threnodian, but some memories stood out more than others. She vaguely recalled supporting General Jiyan out of the Dreamless’ realm and back towards the Hovering Ruins. Thankfully, they had not seen any Tacet Discords along the way. Once they had found Yangyang, she allowed her to fuss over them; they were far too exhausted to protest.

She assumed the Vanguard had helped them back to Camp. She remembered the weak thumbs-up she shot at the General in the medical tent before falling asleep. Maybe she didn’t look that great, because he returned the gesture with a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

Rover and Yangyang spent a few more days at Camp Overwatch building their strength for the journey back to Jinzhou. In that time, it seemed the entire army came to know of the Battle- she received many a celebratory applause, an extra ration of dessert, thanks from soldiers whose families had perished in the earlier war. No one mentioned Abby; she learned later that the general had advised not to make it public knowledge yet.

She remembered her surprise when Jiyan offered to accompany them back to Jinzhou. ”My way of celebrating this peace,” he had explained when Yangyang had asked, “Plus I have some business in the city.” She didn’t think much about it after his explanation but then he insisted on coming with her to her check-up with Baizhi at the Academy.

She knew she did not imagine that concerned look he flashed in her direction when she maintained that none of her memories had returned. When some of the researchers insisted that she stayed to run further tests, he crossed his arms and stated that she was not to be a prisoner. “The decision is up to Rover,” he pronounced, “And the sentient… Little One.”

Their last encounter was on the day he was leaving, one day after her final appointment with Baizhi.

The northern gate of Jinzhou was packed with midnight Rangers. She hadn’t planned for this fully- all she knew was that he was leaving and she neglected to say so much.

She’d spotted him immediately near the supplies being prepared for transport. Some crates bore the logo for Panhua’s Restaurant. Unsurprising, from what she heard. The general was known to bring flavours from home to the soldiers who were not able to leave their post on the frontline.

He turned to give an order and spotted her, raising his hand in greeting and gesturing for her to come across.

“I had a feeling you might be busy with your packing.” She said once she was nearer. “I can tell I was right.”

He chuckled. “This isn’t even the worst of it. Shall we?” He inclined his head to the waterfront, away from the chaos. “What brings you to this asylum?” he asked as they fell into a comfortable stride. 

“These last few days have been crazy. I wanted to say thank you… for everything. You didn’t need to come all this way, or to all my appointments.”

“You’ve saved my life. And all these lives in Huanglong. It seemed the least I could do.” He gave her a small smile. “I would be lying if the doctor in me wasn’t a little bit curious as well. You did something unheard of.”

She shrugged, “I wish I could take more credit for it, but I still have no idea what happened. My only thought was keeping everyone safe.”

“That I do understand. But I do hope that you manage to get some well-deserved rest now.”

She made a point to look at him and then at the busy Rangers around. “Did you think maybe to take the same advice?”

“Touché. But my time in the city did not feel like work so…” he broke off, clearing his throat.

“General Jiyan, I…”

“Rover, I…”

They chuckled, as he shook his head. “Please, we are past that. Call me Jiyan. Just Jiyan. There is no one I would trust more in battle and that seems a good marker of friendship.”

“I think that’s fair,” she replied with a smile, fighting the colour from rising to her cheeks. She noticed some Rangers hovering in her peripheral vision, seemingly debating the best time to interrupt.

“I think they need you,” she said, gesturing to his juniors with her eyes. His golden eyes followed the direction. He nodded at them and they scurried off with a short salute.

“They’re new,” he said by way of apology.

“You don’t need to apologise. You’re needed.”

“Actually I do,” he said with a frown. “Our interactions are always cut short by some calamity it seems. Did we ever have a proper introduction?”

“We knew what we were coming to the North to do. It wasn’t really the time….”

He took off his right glove and extended his hand. “I’m Jiyan, General of the Midnight Rangers. On behalf of Jinzhou, and Huanglong at large, I want to say thank you for your service. The lives saved because of your contribution…”

She took his hand, cutting him off. “Friends don’t do this,” she said slightly awkwardly. “I’m Rover, probably not as new to Huanglong as I originally believed. But I’m here to help.”

She met his eyes, the colour so much like her own, and was surprised by the intensity directed at her.

“I’m honoured to fight at your side,” he said at last.

“As am I.”

“How often do you return to Jinzhou?” Rover asked, trying to focus on any thought but his golden eyes.

“Not that often unfortunately.” He seemed to hear the unspoken question because he continued. “But… The Riverside Games are coming up. It would be nice to see you there.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“It is. I haven’t been in years, but I was thinking about making an exception this year. Hopefully.”

He looked at her again, eyes glistening. He seemed to weigh his words carefully before he spoke again. “All my time in the army, we’ve never been at peace before. But the Tacet Discords still exist, whoever or whatever orchestrated that coordinated attack is still out there. Maintaining the peace may be a bigger challenge than fighting an enemy I can see.”

He sighed. “I think about all the soldiers who came before us, who died for this. The people under my command. I… I have a duty to this country and its people. I worry that…”

“Any lapse of yours can threaten everything you fought so hard for?”

He looked surprised at that. “Yes.”

“You’re doing a great job from what I’ve heard. I’m sure those under your command would be delighted seeing their general enjoying the world that he protects.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re probably right,” He admittedly reluctantly.

She laughed. “So I will see you at the Games then, Jiyan? It’s settled.”

He smiled, much unlike the one in the medical tent. This one met his eyes and made him look less like a general and more like the boy she imagined before the army- one who didn’t carry the weight of national security.

“Yes I suppose you will.”

Ever since the battle with the Threnodian, Rover struggled to fall asleep. She had not told anyone about her tendency to have lucid dreams for fear they would worry. Regardless, she knew why- There were too many loose ends, too many things she couldn’t quite understand; the answers of which were not forthcoming.

But eventually she did slip into a comfortable slumber, her mind wondering into her dreamscape. She found herself in a meadow outside what seemed to be a questionable interpretation of Taoyuan Vale.

She found a place to settle down- she could hear the creek bubbling in the background and the Pecok flowers were near enough to appreciate them, despite the dreamscape causing them to lose their scent..

It was strange how untouched the Vale was given its location in the Central Plains. To the north was the Desorock Highland- desolate and unforgiving as its name suggested. To the west, was the Gorges of Spirits, home of the Bell-Borne Geochelone. And to the east, of course, was tragedy-befallen Qichi Village. If she were higher, she may be able to see the Reverberations from its Tacet Field but… she much rather not.

She dreamed about Qichi Village far too many times, specifically after her encounter with a certain Fractsidus overseer. She wasn’t afraid before then. Of course, there were the Tacet Discord fights and occasional run-ins with his organisation, but at the very least, she did not feel targeted. Ever since then, it was all she knew.

“It’s funny that I would find you here Rover.”

Rover almost swore under her breath. She did it, she thought about him, and now he had been conjured like a ghost from her past. She stood suddenly and spun around, heart hammering in her chest as she stared into heterochromic eyes of Scar.

“Tell me,” he said, eyes sparkling dangerously, “Did you miss me?”

“I… You’re…”

Scar was dressed in his signature Fractsidus red and grey, as he was the last time Rover saw him. His coat billowed slightly at his calves as he moved towards her.

“I’m actually blushing. You’re practically speechless.” He chuckled.

“You’re in prison,” she murmured, more for herself.

“Last I checked, I was in your dreamscape. But yes, I am. Because of you if I remember correctly … but I currently find myself brimming with forgiveness.”

He was staring- whether it was it the wary way one would eye a lion or with the relief that he looked calm… she couldn’t be sure.

Rover was never quite sure what to make of Scar, and her dreams involving him always seemed to reflect that. He tried to kill her once… twice? He would sacrifice her in an instant. But he had been… obliging… with information, in a time when it seemed that everyone was keen to feed her parts of the truth.

“Before you knew anything about this world, you were already the centre of conflict. You are the unknown variable we've been waiting for. Forces have been fighting for possession over you. From the moment you opened your eyes, everyone you've met, including that girl you care so much about... They all knew how valuable you are.

“The world is a cruel place. You are a living, breathing person, but you're just a pawn to many. That's why I'm here... Because I see you as a dear friend, and I want to tell you the truth. I am so, so sorry for everything you are about to face. But truth hurts sometimes.”

“You're just trying to make me join your side,” she had pointed out.

“You could say I'm looking forward to your choice. My goal is simple. I just want to deepen our mutual understanding, nothing more.”

She blinked back into her dream reality, to find him within arm’s reach.

“Funny that you dream about me, isn’t it? Is it the first time?”

Was there any reason to lie? “No.” But usually it’s a nightmare, she neglected to add.

“Oh.” He looked surprised at that. He raised his eyebrows as if to gesture her to continue.

She avoided his gaze. “I think about Qichi Village. And the black sheep.”

“That was a fascinating story, if I do say so myself. Have they attempted to make you the sacrificial lamb yet?”

“I fought a Threnodian in the Hovering Ruins,” she said nonchalantly.

“Alone?!” Alarm had crept into his tone, but his eyes betrayed the curiosity.

“Jiyan was there.”

 A heartbeat’s pause. “So you’re on first name basis with the general now?”

“No! I mean, yes? I don’t see how it matt…” She looked up at him suddenly to see that the playfulness was now gone.

And there it was. That moment when the dream started infringing into nightmare territory. Scar flexed his hand. He couldn’t hurt her, she had to remind herself, and of course, she could just wake up. But it was intriguing- this depiction of Scar. He seemed almost jealous. But why her subconscious would think Scar would be displeased at her friendly comradery with the general of the Midnight Rangers…

She tried to think about Jiyan, hoping that pulling on that train of thought would shift the dreamscape entirely. No luck. Scar continued to glower as though he knew exactly what she was doing. She supposed she just had to carry on, but that didn’t mean she needed to stay there.

She was about to turn to go when Scar narrowed the distance between them to grab hold of her wrist. Now closer, she could see every line on his face, the way his eyes searched hers for an answer to a question he didn’t ask. It felt strangely gentle and frighteningly intimate.

“What do you dream about when you think of Qichi Village?” he asked softly.

That answer came easily, despite the weight of its implications. “I almost believed you, up until you sent me into your Elysium.”

“And yet.”

“And yet?”

“You think about me. I couldn’t…” he chuckled, “You still wonder whether we have more in common than you’ve been led to believe. And your Attribute has changed, no doubt after that fight in the Barrens. That’s… interesting.”

He stepped closer. “Havoc, isn’t it? Last we fought you were a Spectro.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her across. “Tell me Rover, do you wonder whether everything would make more sense if you came with me then? And…” a half-smirk appeared on his lips, “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for twisted little old me.”

“How could I ever have the heart to hurt her? Consider my moment of failure a gift of sincerity, Rover. I trust you haven't forgotten our conversation earlier. Choose me. I'll tell you everything you want.”

“I haven’t,” she replied vehemently, “You’ve tried to kill me.”

“So you’ve mentioned. But here you stand, very much asleep but alive. Did you ever wonder why I didn’t try harder?”

“Why you haven’t…?”

“Rover, despite all the rumours about me, I have always been very clear about what I wanted from you. Join the Fractsidus. Join me. You have so much potential and together we could reach it.” He was tracing circles on her Tacet mark now, almost mindlessly.

This dream was exhausting. His fingers on her Tacet mark sent electricity up her arm. Every cell in her body wanted to believe this dream version of Scar, but for all his lofty beliefs, one thing that he could not deny was the bloodshed in his wake during this pursuit of the new world. Maybe he had a point about symbiosis with the Tacet Discords, maybe he was always honest with her, but… she did not agree with the ends justifying his means.

“You wield your charm as effectively as your resonance energy,” Rover said at last.

“So you find me charming,” Scar said with a smirk.

Rover narrowed the distance. This was a dream. She was allowed to wonder. “I do.”

She could not tell who moved first but suddenly his lips were on hers- warm, eager. She was aware that he was using his height as an advantage. One gloved hand grasped at her upper arm and later, drifted to her waist. She felt the other creep up to her cheek. Rover found herself having to hold onto his shoulders, the Fractsidus coat beneath her fingers as a stark reminder that she should not get lost in whatever feeling this was.

He took her bottom lip between his teeth and Rover had to suppress the shudder. She pulled away first, half-breathless, though Scar looked no better. “I’m not going to join you.”

“Sneaky, Rover.” He ran a hand through his platinum hair as he stepped back, chuckling under his breath. “Something I would do. Something I would have done anyway at some point."

She felt the warmth rising into her cheeks.

“Of course.” His gaze went to her mouth again before returning to her yellow eyes. “I do believe our time together has come to an end. Maybe one day you’d change your mind… about all of it.”

“Don’t wait up.”

“I’d wait eons for you,” he said with a chuckle, “But I don’t think my fellow Fractsidus members would be as lenient.”

He conjured a doorway to his Elysium in her dreamscape. She could feel the frequency radiating from it in waves. Scar moved to it, hovering at the edge. He half-turned, “Before I go, I just want to offer my thanks.”

“Your thanks?”

“You’ve proved that some impossible things aren’t as impossible as I may have thought. Huanglong might be less pleased but…” His maniacal grin was back in place as he met her confused expression. “I find myself in less of a mood to explain presently but you’ll figure it out soon enough. Find me.”

And then he disappeared through the doorway.

Chapter Text

Two Weeks Later...

Rover left Knell Square, unsure of where she was headed. She didn’t want to think about Jiyan’s words, or the flower seed that now sat in her pocket. She didn’t want to remember that look in his eyes when he asked the favour- as though he imagined his death numerous times. It wasn’t unheard of in wartime, of course, but the more pressing question- why her?

She knew she had been lucky. Since she had arrived on Solaris-3, fatalities had been relatively low. She couldn’t imagine the horrors during the Battle Beneath the Crescent, and even worse, what the soldiers had to undergo under the effect of the Retroact Rain.

“Every Midnight Ranger is prepared to die on the battlefield any day. I know this all too well as their general in command. Helping the souls of our fallen ones return to their homeland, this is one of the few ways I can honour their sacrifice…. Rover, I have one more request. If one day I perish in battle and cannot return home, could you please plant one of these flowers for me?”

“I will not let you die.”

She could not fathom her own reaction if told that the General had died in the line of service. But that surely applied to all her friends.

She ran a hand through her two-toned hair.

Maybe she’d visit Yangyang before heading home. After all, she would want to hear about the Games… and it had been eventful to say the least. She sent a quick message via her Terminal.

Are you free for Panhua’s later? Around 7? Just for a catch-up.

The reply was cryptic: I’d love to! But wouldn’t be able to stay too late. Something came up at work.

At least it wasn’t a no.

***

Rover got to Panhua’s in good time, enough to secure a table before the real dinnertime rush. Yangyang was late, uncharacteristic of her, so she took time to peruse the menu- knowing well she rarely deviated from her regular order.

The patrons started to trickle in and eventually, the open-air restaurant was filled with background chatter and laughter. Rover ordered an iced tea just to keep the table. Yangyang still had not appeared.

She decided to send a message- Are you still free?

She waited a few minutes- Rover I’m so sorry! I got tied up and forgot to contact you. I wouldn’t be able to make it. There’s a bit of an emergency.

Rover looked at the message, biting back the disappointment. It’s alright! Anything I can help with?

We’ll let you know.

She was no longer hungry; Yihu was very grateful for the table. Rover could only smile as he offered his thanks.

Her apartment was not too far from the Grand Library, a perk of accepting accommodation from Madame Magistrate. Maybe she should pay them a visit? It seemed like a good idea. After all, she had seen neither Sanhua nor Jinhsi since the battle with the Ovathrax.

She took the long way there, relishing the bustle of the city despite the hour. She was interrupted by security to verify her credentials.

“Lady Sanhua will see you now,” the young guard informed her on his return. She smiled at him and proceeded inside.

Very little had changed since her last visit there- coincidentally, that time having been when she agreed to be bait for Scar, the day of his arrest.

There was a sense of majesty in the design of the building- the bamboo corridor leading to the technological centre. She felt better able to enjoy it now without the anxiety of looking over her shoulder for a certain Fractsidus Overseer.

She spotted Sanhua almost immediately, her white hair stark against her uniform, as she entered the library chamber

Sanhua met her eyes with a rare small smile. “Rover. It’s good to see you. What brings you here at this hour?”

“Nothing specific. I just wanted to see you all, seeing as I have been away since the Battle with the Threnodian.”

“As Madame Jinhsi wanted. She said that you deserved a break.”

Rover gestured to the room. “And you don’t?”

“I signed up for this. And needless to say, my job description does not specify fighting Threnodians.” She looked at Rover peculiarly. “But how are you? Baizhi informed us of your test results and… Attribute change.”

I thought my medical records would be confidential, Rover thought, but shook it away. It made sense for the Magistrate to be included on a need-to-know basis, but it sat uncomfortably within her.

“I’m okay,” she replied, “Just… tired.”

Sanhua nodded her head thoughtfully before saying, “Actually, I had one thing to mention to you… just so that you can be on your toes.” She waited a second before continuing. “Scar is missing from prison.”

“What? How long?”

“About one to two weeks?”

“How come no one told me?”

“That’s not for you to worry about. We have the Patrollers and the Rangers. Besides,” she looked at Rover when it seemed the raven-haired girl was about to interrupt. “If anything, he’s stuck in Limbo. He can’t open his Elysium past the walls of the prison… and he’s never seen inside the prison to teleport within. Guards would have seen him if he tried.”

“I’m…. I see.”

“I’m sorry no one said anything,” Sanhua said softly. “We were just trying to honour our promise to Jinhsi to keep you comfortable until you were actually needed.”

“I understand,” she said as professionally as possible. She did not mention the multiple stray cats she was asked to rescue. Or the TDs she was asked to defeat more than two-days travel away. Or being hired by Lollo Logistics as a personal bodyguard. Scar’s disappearance was definitely of lesser importance compared to that.

If Sanhua suspected she was upset, she did not say anything. They exchanged a few more pleasantries, which included another reminder by Rover that she was working too hard, before the raven-haired girl decided to head home.

That night, Scar was already in her Dreamscape.

Rover found herself in the Sea of Flames, uncharacteristically devoid of Tacet Discords. She saw him almost instantly; he was perched on a large concrete slab, idly shuffling a deck of cards

“It’s like you can’t stay away,” he said by way of a greeting.

“I could say the same.” She crossed her arms in front of her body.

“You seem to be in a bad mood,” he mused, hopping off the slab and pocketing the deck. He didn’t bother to hide the smirk. “I could help with that.”

She sighed, finding a seat on the nearest boulder. “I thought I buried the memory of that dream very deep into my subconscious.”

“Not deep enough, it seems,” he said, joining her on an adjacent boulder. “So what bothers you so much that you dream of me?”

She shot him a look and was surprised to find him meeting her gaze with keen interest. She looked away quickly, finding a rock to fiddle with.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?

“You know what.”

“Rover, I always look at you like this. The only difference is now you’re finally paying attention.” A look of annoyance crossed his face. He lifted a hand, and a single card materialised.

“Unless you prefer my alternative methods?”

Her hand went to her sword instantly as she stood.

He tutted. “Maybe you do. And to think I was happy with just a chat.”

One breath later, he had disappeared from the boulder. She forgot just how fast he could be. A card appeared at her feet, and she jumped out of its explosive range. She spun around, drawing her sword to come face to face with Scar, card hovering at her throat.

He can’t hurt me.

She sidestepped, spinning while swinging her sword in a high arch. Her Havoc energy gathered around her as she moved. She wasn’t sure what the game plan was; she could not will herself awake. At least this felt like simulation training without the echoes- perhaps her brain’s helpful reminder that she had remained out of combat since her fight with the Ovathrax.

He met her sword with his forearm, the weapon bouncing off as though he wore gauntlets. She met Scar’s gaze again- crooked smile, eyes wide with slightly manic energy. She spun quickly again, attempting to synchronise her combat skills with her resonance energy. Scar met her attacks initially, then opted to side-step, as she sped up.

She felt the weight on her back as her wing manifested with her continued onslaught, the Havoc energy building and leaching into her sword. She appreciated the scythe as a gap closer though it seemed that Scar was barely tiring. He attempted to kick her legs out from under her, but her attacks were now partially airborne.

Somehow, they had moved out of the open- the large pillars which supported the motorway ahead stood like sentries around.  If she could get him to yield, damage or not, it was worth a try.

She used her wing like a feathery Aegis, transforming pure sound to feathery Havoc energy. Too fast. She fell to one knee.

A card flitted past, nicking her cheek. She grimaced, automatically bringing her hand to her face.

Another card appeared at her feet but now slightly off balance, the most she could do was roll out of the way. And then Scar was there, tackling her. She hit the ground with a thud, Scar forcing her sword arm above her head, successfully disarming her. His other arm was placed at the side of her head, supporting his weight.

“Now that was fun. Havoc Wing? Very attractive.” His finger ghosted over her primary feathers as he moved closed to her ear. “But will you please give up?”

She could not suppress the shudder and made a concerted effort to avoid his gaze.

“Sensitive little thing, aren’t you?” he said with a chuckle. “You should really be a bit clearer about what you want.”

“I don’t…”

“Or would you prefer I was the General?”

“I would rather you were off me,” she huffed, part-fatigue, part-frustration. She attempted to kick at him, but he adjusted his position to pin the offending leg.

“My offer still remains- I can help,” he continued as if she had made no effort at all, eyes sparkling with mischief as he hovered his mouth just above hers.

She met his gaze and her breath hitched. He raised his eyebrows. “Rover…” he practically purred, ”Has anyone ever told you that you’re the definition of chaos?”

“That’s meant to be you,” she replied weakly.

 “You flatter me,” he said with a chuckle. “Dual attribute resonator… I can think of only one other.”

That gave her pause.

He saw the realisation dawning in her eyes. “I told you our partnership would be mutually beneficial.”

He didn’t resist this time as she tried to push him off. He rolled so they were now lying side by side.

She got her breathing under control, acutely aware that Scar was looking at her. 

“You’ve managed to break out of prison,” she said suddenly.  

“Really now.”

She cast a look at him.

“What? I can have a conversation. And you didn’t seem that keen to indulge your murderous rage. Or your obvious attraction. And I’m here as your… inner narrative?” He flashed her a very unimpressed expression. “So go on.”

“I think the Disruptor must have done something.”

“Disruptor?” He rolled to the side and propped onto his elbow.

“The Ovathrax had a protective shield. We had to break it.”

“Oh the power that would need,” he couldn’t hide the hunger in his voice.

“Which weakened whatever shields they were using to hold you. But your Elysium wouldn’t be able to extend past the prison- I checked with Sanhua.”

She risked a small glance in his direction, but he seemed to be absorbed in his own thoughts. Part of her expected him to comment on the Jinhsi's personal guard.

“I’d obviously need to visualise where my second door would open so opening within wouldn’t be an option… Hmm. Fascinating theory,” he mused. His gaze snapped to hers. “So what’s bothering you exactly? The fact that maybe that maybe we wouldn’t need to do this in a dreamscape?”

“Where are you?” she said, ignoring his jibes. The answer was somewhere in her head, she knew it.

He chuckled. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? Or do you just enjoy these secret rendez-vous?” He traced the laceration on her cheek and tsked. “I’m usually so careful to miss your face. Take care of this in the morning, I would imagine it would hurt.”

“What…?”

He pressed his finger onto the wound. “It’s time to wake up Rover.”

She startled awake, hand going to her face.

No.

She stumbled in the early morning darkness to the bathroom, muscles protesting every movement. There wasn’t any evidence of a laceration, but the area was flushed.

Could she have been in Scar’s Elysium? But… she would have physical injuries. And lucid dreams rarely gave her this level of exhaustion. Unless. Unless. And then it hit here, impossible as it seemed. Scar hadn’t broken out of prison. He was hiding in the realm of dreams.

Chapter Text

After the events following the Riverside Games, Jiyan did not return to the frontlines immediately.

He had waited for Rover to leave Knell Square, not that he worried about being followed, but rather he feared the goodbye. He meant what he said but… the way she looked at him… he supposed no one had ever made that request of her before.

He decided to visit his mother, just for a few hours of being told off for not visiting more regularly while being force-fed her homemade cooking. It was nice that this could still exist- the domesticity. His rank or title did not matter while he was home, and neither did she ask about it. The honest answer to “Are you keeping safe?” never changed.

On that visit his mother opened the door with tears in her eyes. She’d put both her hands on his cheeks, sandwiching his face, whispering, “My son, you did it.”

Jiyan always viewed his mother as someone who made her grievances very clear but kept her heartbreaks silent. She was frustrated for a long time after he decided to accept the role of General, foregoing the life of medicine that his family always planned for him. This was different.

***

Three years ago

“You’re meant to be a healer, Jiyan,” she’d told him in a voice so disappointed that it was almost preferable if she’d yelled. “Not a killer.” She’d took one look at his broadsword and lance and shook her head.

He’d bit his lip. “But I am saving lives, mother. I’m fighting to end this war and stop the prolonged violence. Besides there are other field medics.”

“They are not my son.”

“Mother.”

“You listen to me… what you have is a gift. And you are throwing it away to be some sort of hero.”

“I’m…” he sighed, hoping she wouldn’t view it as disrespect. “Something happened.”

Her anger morphed into concern. “Are you alright? Is someone forcing you to do this? I told your father not to teach that swordplay, why would a doctor need…”

“Mother, stop. It’s not that.” He turned around and she gasped almost immediately when she saw it. He hadn’t made any effort to hide Tacet Mark after all.

“Jiyan…”

He turned to face her again. “It’s not a death sentence, mother.”

It was the first time he saw her cry. “I know. I know.  But… now they’re going to force you to fight.”

“No one is forcing me to fight. I want to. I… I have to. We won the Battle Under the Crescent because I conjured a Qingloong from the winds. If using my Forte means that less people die on the battlefield… Surely you understand.”

She did not speak for several moments. “I raised you, I taught you. You have the heart of a healer but the mind of a warrior. Who am I to tell you to do otherwise? But as your mother…” she paused again, looking at him. “I do not want to bury my son.”

I can’t promise you that, Mother, he thought. A sentence added to the long list of things he could never say.

***

And now, here she was, sobbing into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m here mother,” he whispered in a tone that he knew would carry only to her ears. “We did it.”

She did not mention how long it had been since his last visit (though if anyone asked, Jiyan could answer with a prompt 18 months, 5 days).  She cooked all his favourites, ruffled his hair, insisted he needed a haircut, asked whether he needed her to do his laundry and then proceeded to put his Hanfu into the wash without waiting for the response.

And he let just let her. At home, he was not the general. He allowed himself to bask in the contentment that Huanglong was safe for the time being.

“So tell me about this Rover,” his mother asked suddenly at the dinner table. All eyes were now on him.

“What about her?” ensuring that the mouthful of food was chewed in its entirety lest he choke.

“I don’t know. You met her. Saved Huanglong with her. Invited her to the Riverside Games if my patients are correct.”

“I thought we moved past these routes of getting information.”

“Well, if my son refuses to speak to me…”

“I do speak to you.”

“Bit irritable about this, are we Jiyan?” his younger cousin snickered from his end of the table.

“I am not.”

“So tell us about Rover.”

“What have you heard?” Jiyan asked fixing him a pointed look. Part of it was annoyance, the other part was genuine curiosity. The rumour mills rarely made it to the office of the General of the Midnight Rangers and everything he knew about Rover, apart from the prophecy, were things he discerned from their encounters.

“Most people say she’s come to save the world again but that she only appears in times of great strife. Some disagree saying she’s just a girl. Or a saviour,” he listed, counting on his fingers, “An angel. Oh.. and secret Fractsidus agent. But she’s helpful, everyone says that.”

“Uh huh,” Jiyan commented almost absent-mindedly.

“So…?”

“She’s nice, helpful,” shooting his cousin a look, “She puts herself in harm’s way to help, without knowing her own limits. It’s worked out for her but…”

“But…?’ his mother prodded.

“I worry, that’s all. She’s… a valuable asset to the country.”

No one asked any further questions during dinner. Maybe it was because they knew better than to press, or maybe they heard the unvoiced answer.

When Jiyan went to bed that night, he focused on everything but Rover. He let his wander onto the logistics of the orientation for the new recruits, the fact he needed to give Mortefi a call to find out about upgrading their technology- the regular attacks meant that maintenance often took a backseat.  He thought about the organised TD attack, not for the first time, and whether the Rangers and Patrollers should liaise to get to the bottom of it.

He had more than enough on his plate to avoid thinking about the raven-haired girl with the golden eyes.

In times of peace, Jiyan would have hoped he would stopped dreaming about the Battle Below the Crescent. Or maybe it was simply reliving a memory, a sequela following exposure to the Retroact Rain. 

It was the first time he voiced dissent- they should not have pushed forward in the Rain. He knew he spoke out of line as a mere combat medic, but the risk to life was price he did not think was worth it. Hallucinating one’s fallen comrades in a warzone, watching one’s comrade turn into TDs under the power of the Ovathrax- it was a suicide attempt. They had no chance.

“Silence… Is this your response? Or is fear holding your tongue?”

He manifested Geshu Lin in his dreamscape. He remembered the feeling- being called for an audience with the General. He felt too young to voice his disagreement, his combat experience minimal, his knowledge of warcraft largely academic. But should he have said something then and possibly spared so many of Lin’s fate?

“There is no other choice,” Geshu Lin had told him from across his desk, “We must trample the pile of corpses at our feet and push on. Keep barking orders. Keep fighting until every last one of those monsters is gone. The Retroact Rain merely creates illusions of past events. My soldiers will not succumb to those hallucinations. I will not allow it. We’ll crush anything in our path, no questions asked. And I will pave the way for us all with my Forte. If tens, hundreds, thousands more of my men will die… so be it. We will win this battle, by any means necessary.”

Jiyan remembered the breath he held. Say something, he tried to will himself at the time. But the General’s gaze had met his- resolution in his eyes. There is always another choice.

The clarity of hindsight. The heart of a medic. The mind of a soldier.

The general of today knew the answer to the question posed. It was a question he'd answered countless times since that day, and even more recently in the Retroact Rain:

“We fight to protect what we cherish. And we cherish our comrades, not but of cowardice or fear, but out of trust. The trust in their lives’ worth. I cannot assure you I am always making the right choice. But we should never build our victory on top of endless sacrifices. I too will draw my blade to fight for what I believe in… and I’ll stop at nothing to see it through.”

The memory faded and Jiyan looked around to find himself no longer at Camp Overwatch, but Guixu? The sky overhead swirled in hues of red, orange and dark grey. Rubble was strewn everywhere. He forgot that that there were still parts of Huanglong that never quite recovered following the Lament. He had been on the Front for far too long.

“That was incredibly touching,” someone said to him to his left. He turned to find a tall man, almost mistaking him for General Lin if not for the red coat with matching streaks in his platinum hair. He strolled towards him languidly, regarding him in the way a cat hunted a small bird. 

Fractsidus, his brain cautioned him. He was confused. As General, Jiyan never had reason to personally get involved. Domestic issues not involving TDs were usually handled by the Patrollers.

“What was?” he asked.

“I’ve heard the stories of course. What happened during the Battle under the Crescent. The story of General Geshu Lin, a man truly after my own heart,” he chuckled, “And your rise to power, General Jiyan. Seeing that little interaction… well, let’s just say that I find your outlook… fascinating.”

“I’m not following. What is this?” Something about this dream felt wrong, highjacked almost.

“Rover called me her… inner commentary? I quite liked that.”

Jiyan’s hand went to his blade.

The man’s gaze went to the broadsword and then back to meet Jiyan’s, eyes darkening slightly. “You’d find that weapons are useless in your current state, General. Besides I come with a warning… and an invitation.”

“Which is it?”

The Fractsidus member grinned at him. “Whichever you prefer.”

Who was it that they received a security circular about? Some name starting with S… Scar? Overseer, if he remembered correctly, a Fusion resonator who had the ability to transform into a goat reaper with Havoc energy.

Dual attributes, much like someone else he knew.

“A warning then,” Jiyan said, “Why me?”

Scar’s smile didn’t waver. “The Fractsidus has plans that can only really be stopped by Rover. We need to take her out of play… obviously,” he added as acknowledgement of Jiyan’s chagrin. “Fortunately, Rover’s already taken the bait.”

Jiyan felt his blood run cold. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how to make it clearer General. Rover’s going to die- maybe you can stop it.”

This didn’t make sense. Why tell him? He could very easily find her. It meant delaying his return to the Frontlines but that was irrelevant. “How do I know this isn’t some elaborate trick?”

Scar laughed. “Don’t miss much, do you?” Scar’s eyes narrowed with morbid amusement. “Of course, it’s an elaborate trick but now that you know, you can’t sit back, can you?”

No, he couldn’t ignore this visit for what it was.

“Where is Rover?”

“Nuh uh uh. Part of this is the game. But how about a clue? Head to the Port of Gunchao? That might be helpful.” Scar's smile was now a lopsided smirk. “Nice meeting you General. For your sake, hopefully this is the last time.”

Scar snapped his fingers and Jiyan bolted awake.

Chapter Text

Rover had been in the Somnoire once before. She had been wandering Whining Aix’s Mire when her Terminal detected a strange frequency. She entered the Gate, her own Echo being swapped with one from the Realm and forced to compete in a battle royale with TDs she had encountered in her travels. The realm’s uncanny tendency for her to see the memories of others made her uncomfortable, but the handsome reward at the end almost made up for the initial discomfort.

She had never returned though. She suffered injuries in the realm but was assured by the Gatekeepers that her physical body was safe. They were right but the knowledge did not take away the unadulterated fear when she took near lethal damage.

She had, she knew, two options- get the Patrollers involved as early as possible on a mere hunch or enter the Somnoire, gather evidence, then return with reinforcements. Death in the Realm was an automatic reset. What was the worst that could happen? Besides, it was not like they needed her on the case. Her involvement, if anything, would offer some insight.

Her mind was set- she needed to get to the Port of Gunchao.

The next morning, Jiyan informed his family that something had come up and he would be unable to stay. It was not the first time; they were more surprised that he stayed the night.

Jiyan’s family lived on the outskirts of Jinzhou so it did not take him long to return to the city centre. He forwent his usual Hanfu and battlegear, opting for chinos and a button-down. His teal hair was wrapped into a bun and secured it under a cap. Hopefully, if he were recognised, it would be on second glance. His plan wasn’t to linger.

He was losing time if Scar was to be believed but… there was a small chance it was his paranoid subconscious. Plus, he did not even want to think about the paperwork for an unsanctioned trip to Gunchao.

The city was just waking up as he arrived- the shouts of good morning across the square, office staff headed to work, Mahe’s grocery just receiving its daily stock. When was the last time he’d come at this hour? Jihan couldn’t remember.

He arrived to Her Magistrate’s accommodations easily. During a security briefing, Sanhua had once mentioned where Rover stayed while she was in the city. He thought nothing of it at the time but in hindsight, he wondered why they needed to. Was it for her protection… or theirs?

He shook the thought out of his head. Regardless, it was now proving to be useful information.

Rover inhabited a small ensuite apartment on the top floor. It was only when he was at her front door, poised to knock, that it occurred to him that he had no idea what to say.

I was in the city and just wanted to check in. He saw her 48 hours ago.

Sanhua told me where I could find you. The problem was the inevitable follow-up question. Every lie sounded like a feeble excuse to him much less to her.

I had a dream about you last night and needed to make sure you were safe. Just a bit too honest to prevent the heat from rising to his face.

He gritted his teeth and just knocked. And waited.

Then knocked again.

And waited.

“Rover?” he called. “It’s… Jiyan. Sorry to bother you…”

He was cut off by a gentle rap to his arm. He turned suddenly to see a Patroller staring at him with eyes wide.

“G…General,” he greeted with accompanying salute.

“Private.” He replied, already noting his rank and signalling him to be at ease. “Is there a problem?”

“None at all. I didn’t recognise you,” he said, eyeing his garb. “Though I suppose that was the point.”

Jiyan wore the face of professionalism. “You are correct. I suppose Rover doesn’t get that many guests.”

“Usually security downstairs would let us know,” he admitted.

“I see.”

“Can I help with anything?”

“No.” This was a social call, he thought and facepalmed himself mentally. “I was just looking for her.”

“Oh! Perhaps I can be somewhat helpful then… She’s not in right now.”

“Do you…” he took a breath to calm his rising heartrate. “Do you know when she might be back?”

“She rarely says,” he mused. “But she did take a travelling bag this morning.”

“This morning,” Jiyan repeated. “She left this morning? Are you certain Private?”

“Absolutely. It was just around our shift change.”

So around six o’clock. Jiyan checked his watch- she had about an hour headstart. If he left now, maybe he could intercept her.

He met the Patroller’s gaze with a smile. “Thank you for your time.”

“It’s been my honour Sir! Are you sure that’s all?”

“Yes, that’s all.” He thought about asking the young man to keep his visit private, but he remembered his initial years on the Force. Gossip was more potent than medicine. “I’ve only come to return something of hers from the Barrens. That's all," he offered.

“Oh. I’d offer to keep it for her, but I don’t know how long she’d be.”

Jiyan paused a moment, as if considering it. “It’s quite all right,” he told the younger man graciously, “But thank you for the offer.”

Jihan bid him goodbye and swiftly left the compound. He wasn’t entirely sure if he improved the situation but… it was probably better than admitting it was a social call.

Jiyan visited Yhan before he left the city- knowing he would be afforded the respect for his personal life and privacy to change out of his civilian apparel.

It would be a few of hours till he arrived at the Port- vehicles could only take you so far since the highway had never been completely repaired. He was very likely to see her on the way, he rationalised.

But as he travelled south to Whining Aix’s Mire, he did not see nor hear of her. He tried her Terminal but was unsuccessful both times. She could be busy, he knew, but the panic crept into his chest like a parasite.

Dusk was just setting in as he arrived at his destination. Port staff saluted as he made his way to security office.

“What brings you here General,” the gentleman called Xing asked.

“I’m looking for Rover. I have it on good knowledge that she was passing through here.”

“Rover… that’s the girl who saved Huanglong, isn’t it?” he said, running a hand over his short hair. “Can’t say that I have. Usually when she visits, she strengthens her resonance energy on that there Nexus.” He pointed to a tall structure on the seafront.

Jiyan pursed his lips, planning his next move.

Xing noticed the small action. “I could… ask the night staff when they come in, if you’d like? Would you need a place to stay in the meantime?”

“That would all be greatly appreciated,” Jiyan said.

The staff were accommodating- offering him a separate room to use instead of the bunkbeds for the night staff, fortunately situated with a view of the Nexus. But that night, Jiyan tracked the moon as she made her way across the night sky. Every permutation of what could have happened running through his head.

At best- his dream was just that- just a dream.

At worst- he was too late.

But equally, his rational brain tried to convince him, he could just be too early, especially if Rover decided to brave the journey entirely by foot.

He got out of bed just as the morning light touched the sky to meet the night staff personally. There were no overnight sightings of the Rover.

He did learn about a strange doorway not too far away from the port.

“It’s through that cave,” the worker had explained, pointing to a hole in the cliff-face. “One of our guys went in once- told us of a doorway in a glen. But we think it only opens for resonators.”

“Why hasn’t anyone gone back?” Jiyan had asked.

“TDs mainly. Don’t get me wrong- we put up a good fight, but it’s not worth the waste of resources. No resonators here unfortunately. Also our guy, he said the area just felt…. Wrong. He heard voices through the doorway. Let’s just say we’re a superstitious folk.”

It was a lead.

Jiyan took the day to collect supplies and make arrangements with his Lieutenant General. He tried Rover’s terminal again to no avail. If she did not make an appearance tonight, he needed to have a contingency plan.

“But now that you know, you can’t sit back, can you?”

Scar was right. There were protocols in place for civilians but… he couldn’t leave this to anyone else.

By nightfall, Rover still hadn’t made an appearance, so Jiyan retired back to the room. He did not know what to expect through The Doorway but considering that Patrollers hadn’t interfered he assumed that it could not have been inherently dangerous.

Sleep, Jiyan. He tried to convince himself. And for some time, he did manage to lie as still as possible with his eyes closed. Not quite sleeping, but close enough.

That is, until he heard the hurried footsteps across the tarmac and a shadow crossed across one of the port lights. He was alert now, eyes fixated on the Nexus. He saw the outline of a small frame, a sword.

He slipped out of bed and headed outside.

Rover was exhausted, every cell in her body protesting each step to the Nexus.

Maybe she could have done without that last search for Noctemint. Or maybe stayed clear of the mines? Or avoided the battle with Lampylumen Myriad? Logically, she knew that she pushed herself, but she could rationalise the effort- she had been on a combat hiatus since the Ovathrax and if she were going into the Somnoire, she needed to restore the muscle memory.

She had not managed to absorb Lampylumen the way she had done the Dreamless. Was it some echoes and not others? TDs empowered by a Threnodian only? She didn’t want to harp on it- it was not as though she had a choice of echo in the Somnoire.

But she was at the Port of Guancho at long last.

She greeted some of the port staff as she entered, trying to mask the soreness. While they did not know her personally, they knew of her- which meant her credentials did not need to be verified as she made her way to the Nexus.

She did not realise someone was coming towards her until their shadows crossed.

“Good n…” she began to say as she turned to face them, and then froze. She would have known that cascading teal hair anywhere, even out of uniform. She felt his wandering gaze quickly assessing her injuries- the scratches, the gash on her leg, her hair giving the appearance that an Excarat had made its home in it- before meeting her gaze.

“Rover,” Jiyan said at last. “Are you all right?”

“I’ve been better,” she said with a small laugh. She couldn’t really stop herself. “How are you here?”

“Just chasing a lead,” he replied.

“Oh.” She looked at him then- dressed in his plaid trousers and plain black T-shirt, quite unlike anything she’d seen him in before. He’d clearly been ready for bed. But here?

“Did I disturb you?” she asked softly, feeling slightly nauseous.

“I couldn’t sleep, that’s not your fault.” There was something about the way that he said it that made her wonder whether there was more to it.

“What happened?” he asked again, vaguely gesturing to her wounds.

She automatically moved to cover the leg wound. “Echo hunting,” she explained, “I’ve decided to chase a lead but… since the Ovathrax, I haven’t been up to much. This,” she moved her hand away, a trace of blood staining her palm, “Is a gift from Lampylumen.” Her head was spinning now. When was the last time she ate? She hit the coastline some miles back and had no opportunity to refill her water.

“An Overlord Class?” he asked in partial disbelief. “After the Dreamless?”

“I needed the practice, and it was on the way. Besides, I’ve also been helping some people... with favours. Did I tell you I’m… part founder…” The edges of her vision were darkening now as her head swam, “…For a Cat Rescue Service…”

Her voice faded out.

She was vaguely aware of falling but not hitting the ground, feeling herself being lifted off her feet just in time. She no longer smelled the ocean, now being cradled in something much more earthy. Perhaps it was the fatigue that prevented the panic from setting in.

Perhaps it was something else. 

Chapter Text

Rover awoke in a small double bedroom, the sun just reaching its summit. She was not alone- Jiyan was seated at a desk, his back to her. She shuffled to sit herself up, wincing slightly.

Her body was sore, her throat dry; She still managed to whisper a quiet good morning to the general. He turned around quickly.

“You’re awake, good.” He came over and sat on the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel as though I’ve been thrown from the top of Huaxu Academy.”

“Is that from personal experience?” he replied, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Well…” Not quite an answer, she knew, but enough for him to gather the pieces.

“Is it okay if I look you over? I did a quick primary assessment once I got you in, but everything else could have waited.”

“I don’t mind… thank you.” She added quickly, “I didn’t mean to…”

He silenced her with a wave of his hand. “I need to listen to your chest, so no talking.”

He got his stethoscope from his bag and got her to lean forward to listen at her back.

“Any pain when you take that deep breath in?” he asked.

“No.”

“Good.”

He listened to her heart, shone a light in her eyes – did he still keep all his equipment? - got her to move her arms, examined her head. His hands moved precisely, meticulously. In this light, she saw less of the general and more of the doctor.

He held her chin between his thumb and index finger, moving her face in both directions. “That’s healed up quite well.”

Rover couldn’t deny- this was probably the closest they had ever been. “I’m glad,” she replied, looking anywhere but his face.

“Can I look at your leg wound?”

“Of course.” She threw the covers back, not particularly surprised when she saw the wound already bandaged with minimal strikethrough. He got her to move her legs and seem pleased with his findings. With her permission he also re-dressed the wound.

“You’re all set,” he said, once content with his examination. “I’d say you need some rest, but I doubt you’d listen.”

“I think what I want is a shower,” she replied. “I look like an absolute mess while you…” she broke off, “You look like you had a great night’s sleep.”

He chuckled. “As good as one can on a wooden chair.”

“You didn’t…?” she didn’t complete the sentence, but she saw Jiyan’s eyes widen slightly at the implication.

“Rover, I… wouldn’t.”

Because….? She wanted to ask- there was more than one reason why he would prefer a chair to the bed- but thought better of it.

“I’m sorry that you had to.”

“I didn’t have to,” he said softly, “And it’s not your fault what I choose to do, so please stop apologising.” He sighed. “Besides, it was somehow still better than being in the Barrens if I’m being honest.”

She let out a soft chuckle. “If you say so.”

***

Rover eventually managed to get out of bed, resolute on having a shower. Jiyan said that he was going for a walk so she could have the room to herself. She had more than enough time to tidy herself up and felt better for it.

Jiyan returned later with actual food.

“I almost didn’t recognise you,” he told her later, as they were eating.

She pointed her chopsticks at him. “Rude. And very unlike you.”

He smirked. “I dare say this is how you know we’re friends. Is this okay?’ he asked, gesturing to the food containers on the makeshift table.

“It’s great. This,” she held up a Loong bun, “Is probably my favourite.”

She put it in her mouth to prove her point, enjoying Jiyan’s small smile.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked.

“Anything.”

“How are you here?” Jiyan did not react, so she went on, “It’s just that… You’re the last person I’d expect to meet here. I’m grateful, but…” She let the thought fade into the silence.

Jiyan swirled his noodles thoughtfully. “Do you know someone called Scar?” he asked at last.

She jerked her gaze up to meet his and keeping her voice as level as possible, she managed a “Yes.”

“Like I said, I’m following a lead.”

When Jiyan made no further effort to elaborate, Rover decided to fill the quiet. “I’m here about Scar as well,” she admitted, putting her chopsticks down, and looking at him. “If we’re here about the same thing, maybe we could work together? …But why would they send the General?”

She pierced him with a questioning look, but he met her gaze cooly. “I don’t think you should be chasing anything to do with this,” he said.

“I’m just following a lead,” she parroted. She felt a flash of annoyance.

“He’s dangerous.”

“I’ve met him before. It was fine.”

“What if he tried to kill you?”

“He wouldn’t.”

His eyes narrowed slightly at her conviction. “How do you know?” Jiyan asked.

“I just… do. Are you going to tell me what brings you here?”

“Rover, I don’t…”

She thought of the prophecy that she hadn’t heard until Jiyan mentioned it prior to the Battle with the Threnodian. She thought of the wild goose chase involving the sugar pearl and the sundial. She thought of this protection that meant that she was always out of the loop until they absolutely needed her and saying no wasn’t an option.

And she thought of the Fractsidus Overseer who promised none of those secrets.

“You are meant to be my friends.” She could help the words from tumbling out. She normally would have said nothing but maybe it was the fact she still felt sore, or the fact she was finally eating, or perhaps the feeling in her chest to see Jiyan here.

“Friends would want to keep you safe,” Jiyan said softly.

“I don’t expect state secrets. But it doesn’t make sense why you can’t tell me. We’re on the same team. You’ve instructed your Rangers to lend me help whenever I need it.” She relished the rare look of surprise that crossed his features.

“… Unless this is a secret assassination mission that is being done off the books.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“No. Nothing like that.” Colour had risen to his cheeks and she immediately felt guilty.

They had their dinner in silence after that.

***

HOURS LATER

 “There’s more than enough space on the bed,” Rover told Jiyan quietly before he switched off the lights. “You might as well get a good night’s sleep.”

“I’m fine on the chair.”

“No one would be fine on that chair.”

“Rover…”

“I will not be comfortable if I know you’re not.”

She could see his inner battle but eventually, he did concede.

For all his resistance, Rover could tell Jiyan needed it. The fatigue was under his eyes and the stress held in the way he carried himself. He lay beside her in the darkness. She had been right- there was enough space.

“Are you comfortable now?” Jiyan asked quietly from beside her.

“Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I am too.”

She heard his resigned sigh.

“Jiyan?”

“Mm?”

“I’m sorry for getting upset. You have your job. I understand…”

“It must not be easy awakening on Huanglong as you did. It’s understandable that you have frustrations.”

“You did nothing wrong. It was unfair when you’ve been so kind.”

He was silent for a moment. “You extend the same kindness to everyone. And… I must apologise for being occasionally cryptic.”

"It's okay." She paused to phrase the question properly. Are we here on the same assignment? “Do our missions align?” she asked finally, uncharacteristically formal.

“My job description involves mitigating loss of life,” he sounded sombre enough that she wondered whether she should be worried but one quick glance at his relaxed frame quelled that fear. “Are you doing something particularly dangerous?” he asked.

“I’m just going into the Somnoire… There’s a gateway not too far away from here into the Realm of Dreams and Memories. I’ve been before and it was fine. So… no?”

“Scar is in there?”

“I think so- he’s appearing in dreams.”

“Your dreams?”

Rover was glad the darkness hid the blush that rose to her cheeks. “Yes.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“In and out. And then return with reinforcements.”

“Simple. But effective.” She imagined his thoughtful expression that he often wore for conversations like these.

“I’ll probably head off quite early,” she told him, “Just in case I’m not here in the morning.”

“Can’t convince you to have breakfast?”

“We… didn’t finish dinner. I’ll have that.”

“Alright. You need to get to bed then.”

“Probably.”

She felt the feather of a touch on her hand which lay beside her. “Goodnight Rover.”

“Goodnight Jiyan.”

***

Jiyan did not fall asleep immediately. He lay awake in the dark waiting for Rover’s breathing pattern to deepen before finally rolling to his side. He was careful not to touch her again.

He wondered whether saying something would have made a difference. Rover, I think Scar is luring you there to kill you. But what evidence did he have? A single dream? But based on what Rover had said, it was likely real.

He thought about his encounter with Scar- he did not recognise it at the time, but he felt his resonance energy- power stretched taut, as if waiting for an outlet. If Scar had visited Rover and him via this Dream Realm, did that mean he could access anyone’s? Could he harm people within their dreams?

Probably worse of all, he did not know what to make of her calm- she seemed confident that she was safe, but he felt her tense when he mentioned the dreams.

He found himself clenching his jaw. Much time had passed since the Battle Beneath the Crescent and to that day, silence had always been his biggest regret.

What was an additional day off the frontlines?

Rover found herself staring at a blue cloudless sky overhead. She fought down the panic building in her chest. The memory was infringing on her logic. She knew where she was, and more importantly, she knew when she was.

She had not thought about that day in a long time. So many things had happened since then and she’d never gone back. Not to see the repairs being done to the statue of the Sentinel, not to determine whether there were any clues as to why she appeared there.

It felt like a fever dream much like this one, she supposed.

She closed her eyes. Soon Yangyang, Chixia and Baizhi would come across her and they would launch into that conversation she knew almost verbatim. It wasn’t difficult. Many of the questions they posed could be answered with an easy “I don’t know.”

She heard a sound and opened her eyes… to find herself staring into the very amused face of Scar. He extended a hand to her.

Rover swatted his hand away.

“What. Are you doing here?” she asked through gritted teeth.  

“I hadn’t seen you in some time. I grew worried that you were lost.” He looked around as she stood. “The Gorges of Spirits?” he asked. “Rumour has it that’s where you appeared.”

She ignored his initial comment. “The rumours are correct.”

Half of his mouth curled into a small smile. “You haven’t addressed my first concern. Are you lost?”

“Busy. One can’t just turn up to the Somnoire unprepared.”

He acknowledged her words with a tilt of his head. “How prepared are we talking? Got the Patrollers involved, have we? Or the Rangers?”

His mismatched eyes glinted with playfulness mixed with genuine curiosity.

“I haven’t notified the authorities yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Hmm.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “How do you keep doing this? It’s not like I dream everyone who goes into the Somnoire.”

“The first time was an accident,” he said with a laugh. “All I know is I saw these figures… of us… The conversation was familiar. I tried to… it doesn’t matter.” He chuckled. “I quickly learned interacting with the memory in this realm while the memory was currently being utilised meant that I could join your dreamscape. It became easier to find you after that.

“Almost like,” he poked her forehead with his index finger. “We are linked.”

“That was strangely forthcoming.”

“I said I wouldn’t lie to you,” he replied with a shrug.

“But neither does the truth change anything.”

“Also true.” He grinned wolfishly before turning away. “Anyways I best be off. This was a social visit after all… and well, you need to rest up. Enjoy your pleasant memory.”

“Scar,” she called as he was about to disappear.

“Yes Rover.”

“Why do you need me to come find you?”

“Taking advantage of my honesty, I see. But no matter. I don’t plan to stay here long-term, and… I need a little help. You seemed easy enough to motivate, I’m not sure how many of your memories you want me privy to.”

He tossed a carefree glance back at her mortified expression. Without waiting for her rebuttal, he blinked out of her dreamscape.

Rover wished she could say she had pleasant dreams after that.

She awoke to find herself face-to-face with Jiyan’s sleeping form. She let herself soak in the sight- this unguarded version of him- before quietly rolling away to sit at the edge of the bed.

It was not even a difficult mission and yet somehow, she managed to stretch a daytrip into a three-day adventure involving fighting a calamity class TD and sharing a bed with the general of the Midnight Rangers.

She really had to go.

She felt something touch her hand in the darkness. She looked at it on reflex, seeing Jiyan’s over hers. She turned to face him completely. He was awake, yellow eyes fixed on hers.

“You’re not going alone. I’m coming with you.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure?” she’d asked him, not for the first time, as they were ready to leave. “I’ll be fine.”

He shouldered his bag, looking at her with eyes particularly draconic in the early morning light. “What was it you asked? Oh yes. Our interests do align.”

His mind was set, she knew. It was in the efficiency he batted away every counter to 'he did not need to inconvenience himself in this way'. The only solace she took was that it was not going to be a long mission; he seemed keen to remind her that that was her overnight reassurance.

After a quick visit to the security office, they set off. She was glad they left this early. She saw none of the usual TDs on the journey over and by the time they arrived at the glen, the sun was rising over the mountain range.

It was stunning and haunting- Vehicles suspended as though supported by wires, the river which lazily snaked through the valley reflected the pinkish-blue sky overhead, the sheen of the indigoite to their peripheries and, of course, the doorway erected on an island at the centre.

As they got closer, it occurred to Rover that it looked different from the last time she’d seen it. To her memory, it was a white door partially covered by ivy. Now, red markings had appeared along the door’s border.

The Ivory Gatekeeper was standing to the side. He seemed lost in his own thoughts, as he only clocked their presence when they stood right before him. They had made no effort to quiet their steps as they crossed the river.

Jiyan eyed the person before them with distrust and Rover couldn’t blame him. The Gatekeepers prioritised anonymity over appearing approachable.

“Rover!” he exclaimed when he saw her, “I am so glad to see you. And you’ve brought a friend!”

“Jiyan,” the general beside her said by way of introduction.

The Gatekeeper acknowledged him with an incline of the head then turned to face Rover again.

“I suppose you’re here because you heard…?”

“Heard..?”

“We’ve been infiltrated. The Somnoire isn’t safe.”

“What do you mean?” Jiyan asked. She could feel his eyes on her before he looked at the Gatekeeper.

“Well, normally the Dreamscape is safe because it’s not within this world. You can’t die. But this resonator… he’s able to conjure a secondary realm… and now they’re colliding. I cannot guarantee your safety when you enter.”

“When we enter?” Jiyan said, eyebrow slightly raised.

“Isn’t that why you’re here? You need to get him out!” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Before the Ebony Gatekeeper gets to him.”

“Why does the Ebony Gatekeeper want him?” Rover asked.

“Who’s the Ebony Gatekeeper?” Jiyan asked simultaneously.

“We used to work together to protect the Somnoire,” he replied turning to Jiyan first, “Every memory, every dream, every feeling across Solaris-3 is stored in this realm- making it a valuable resource. People... subconsciously use it. You pull on memories- for comfort, for inspiration, to remember your… motivation” He paused. “It’s also corrigible, with the right power, from external forces. Take away hope, and you can destroy people, civilisations.”

“My… colleague,” he continued, looking at Rover, “Was the reason for the initial destabilisation. Whereas I believe it to be a resource to be used as necessary, he believed that the Somnoire could be expanded beyond its limits- stabilise the world by filling it with the dreams and memories of all who were and are.  But dreams do not exist without nightmares… and one cannot be selective in what is freed."

“The Lament led to the collapse of the physical world as we knew it, but hypothetically, the memories that remained could be a framework for rebirth. But opening the world to the outside? That introduced the TDs empowered by the memory of the Threnodian.

“It is thanks to your help that the situation did not spiral," he said with a half-sigh. "But the Ebony Gatekeeper will use this resonator to reach his vision. He’s powerful. His realm could be a middle ground. But I do not believe the worlds should mix. Human memories in a Havoc Realm do not bode very well.”

“So what’s happening now?” Rover asked.

“The Somnoire is holding together but… whenever the Elysium is accessed, dreams are escaping. It’s a leak that needs to be patched.”

He faced both resonators in a way that could only be described as expectantly.

Rover exchanged a look with Jiyan. He was unreadable in his contemplation but there was no deliberation on her end- she had to go in. The situation seemed dire but the danger paled in comparison to the Threnodian. 

“Jiyan, I…”

“Nothing has changed since we last spoke about this, Rover. Like I said, I’m coming with you.” He regarded her as though he had seen her thoughts. “Besides, it looks like you’d need those reinforcements now.”

She wasn’t sure what to call the feeling that came over her. It was reminiscent of relief but not quite. Before she could say anything further, they were interrupted by the Gatekeeper.

“As you know, you can’t use your echoes, but the Realm would provide one.”

“What if it doesn’t match our Attribute?” Jiyan asked.

The Gatekeeper shrugged. “It’s never been a problem before. We’ll see what’s available when we go in. I would be taking my alternative form, of course…”

“Lampy Cat,” Rover whispered under her breath.

“What…?” Jiyan asked beside, confusion colouring his tone.

“It is surprisingly a very accurate description,” the Gatekeeper conceded. “You’ll see. Shall we?” He gestured towards the door. It creaked open.

Jiyan had left her side to walk around the door. He’d been quite composed throughout but could not hide his wonder now. The seemingly empty doorway now contained a nebula of swirling colours. Rover watched as he slowly advanced his lance to realise it did not come through.

“You’ve never brought anyone else here before,” The Gatekeeper said softly to her. “Surprising, given only you can grant access.”

She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it

“Ah yes, I forgot about the amnesia this time,” he said regarding her. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to bring the general?”

“You know him?”

“All dreams and memories come into the Somnoire. Some… are more poignant than others. Also, I am not so out of touch that I do not know the general of the Midnight Rangers.”

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” she whispered, glancing at Jiyan.

“It… The Somnoire is unpredictable at the best of times. At present, I can’t make any promises for his safety or yours. Having another person there might… affect your decisions.”

She remained silent, just as Jiyan looked across at her. She wanted him here, she realised, even if she was undecided on whether she needed him on the mission. He indicated the doorway with his eyes, as if to say, “So are we doing this?”

It was foolhardy. She should just do this herself, but she found very different words on her lips.

Chapter Text

They found themselves in a train carriage, with the Ivory Gatekeeper now in his feline form.

“I… see what you mean now,” Jiyan said, glancing at the white cat and then at Rover. It was glowing.

She flashed him a smile. “I thought it was an accurate description.”

Jiyan moved ahead, manoeuvring his large frame through the aisle, Lampy Cat at his heels. His curiosity was endearing and she was grateful for it. She wouldn't have blamed him had he been filled with trepidation with faced with the actual realm.

Outside the sky swirled in hues of orange and red. Jiyan opened a window but found his hand pressed against an invisible force field. 

“The only way out is through,” Rover told him before he could ask the question. “But now we wait. We need an echo.”

Jiyan removed his terminal, which was now pulsating orange. “Do we have a choice in what we get?”

“You get the illusion of a choice?” she offered somewhat unhelpfully.

He pursed his lips and replaced the Terminal. “And I thought the Highlands were chaos incarnate.” He paused, “How… are you faring with the two attributes? Are you able to switch between the two?”

“I…” she looked at her Tacet mark, dark against her skin. “I’m okay. It’s stranger to think that I have both. And I can’t really switch in combat. I have to decide in advance- it’s almost like one is locked when the other is active.”

He looked at her thoughtfully. “Have you decided which you’d be using then?”

“Scar’s TD form is resistant to Spectro and Havoc despite being an entity of Havoc.” She ran a hand through her hair. “But I was tempted to use Spectro because… it would synchronise with your strengths better.”

He didn’t look surprised to hear it. “Your Havoc brings more damage,” he said slowly, “You shouldn’t be thinking about me just in case we get separated.”

“It’s unlikely that we will.”

“You said that this was going to be safe.” She heard the unspoken “And you were wrong about that.”

“So what would have me use then?”

“It’s not about I want you to use. If you prefer one over the other, we’ll make it work.”

Jiyan’s cumulative damage with his Qingloong and raw strength surpassed hers on every count and her Havoc damage would mean nothing against Scar’s TD form. Her stasis abilities would be useful at the very least. it wasn’t like her Spectro damage was negligible either…

“Spectro.” She said as last.

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but he didn’t say anything more. He did not have much time to for at that moment, a masked figure dressed in black appeared through a doorway at the far end of the carriage.

“The Ebony Gatekeeper,” she whispered under her breath. A quick survey of the area revealed that their feline friend had already made his departure.

The Gatekeeper approached them, arms open in greeting.

“Rover, General… a pleasure. You’ve chosen an interesting time to come but I do fear things are not quite the same as you remember.”

“We’re looking for Scar. We have it on good intel he might be here.”

“Your intel is sound. I too am trying to find him, but his Elysium makes it difficult. You’re more than welcome to try but be mindful that the challenges remain.”

“We thought as much.” She paused, trying to get a read on him. She’d been told that her previous incarnations on Solaris-3 knew both Gatekeepers and the Somnoire well. Yet, she struggled to get a read on either of them- their hospitality removed any doubt she would have otherwise had.

“What echoes are available?” Jiyan asked, impassive at her side.

“Let’s see… Not much choice now I’m afraid. And it’s influenced by your own memories.”

Two orbs of light manifested before them, miniature versions of Sonoro Spheres. Rover saw the masked face of the Dreamless staring back at her, and in front of Jiyan… “Is that a Gulpuff?!”

“I believe it is.” She could see the beginning of a smirk appearing on the corner on his mouth. How did he find this funny?

She watched as he reviewed its effect using his Terminal, the amusement never leaving his features contrary to what he read. Normally, Gulpuffs provided Glacio damage but this one? Healing and damage reduction.

She turned to the Gatekeeper. “This isn’t fair.”

“It’s what the Realm has provided him.”

“Can we switch?” She knew she needed to keep the apprehension out her voice.

“You know that’s not how it works. You will be fine.” He turned to leave. “Door is at the end when you’re ready.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Rover it’s quite alright. I do have a… particular affinity… for the Gulpuff.”

“But your damage?” 

“Didn’t you choose Spectro because of me? This way we can protect each other although… Havoc might be slightly better with the Dreamless.”

She deliberated for a moment. The moment they stepped through that door, it would be too late to change her mind.

He dematerialised his lance to a teal loong which encircled his hand twice before disappearing into his dorsum of his hand Jiyan stepped forward so he could face her, placing his other hand on her free shoulder. She would have thought this was the General, rallying his soldier before a pressing forward, but there was a tenderness there that she had seen once before… at Knell Square.

“Rover, I will be fine. Part of our Ranger training is ensuring that we can defend ourselves in the event of a Terminal failure. And I have my Forte. You need your best chance. I said I wasn’t going to tell you what to do, but I changed my mind. Choose Havoc.”

“But Scar…”

“He’s only resistant to you in his TD form. We can swap.”

She met his eyes and wondered whether this was another illusion of choice. He knew this, considered this even, and let her choose Spectro initially.

But… that was before the echoes.

“Alright. Okay.”

He let her go and she closed her eyes. She could feel the energy shift- the Havoc attribute felt heavy in comparison to her Spectro, like an explosive force awaiting the right spark.

She hadn’t told anyone- the Change was exhausting, as though she was rewriting every cell in her body. She hoped that Jiyan wouldn’t notice…

“Deep breaths, you’re okay,” Jiyan whispered. He was looking at her, she knew, but she was grateful that he did nothing more; this was mortifying- a demonstration that the saviour of Huanglong was just a woman who couldn’t even manage her own power.

When she finally opened her eyes, she did not see the pity she was expecting. Was it… concern?

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” she said.

“I thought as much.”

She gave herself a few more moments to catch her breath as they slowly advanced through the carriage, pausing at the doorway.

“Okay I’m ready.”

“Shall we then?” He extended his hand towards the door. “Ladies first.”

Chapter Text

CHALLENGE ONE

They found themselves in an arena bound by a raised outcropping of dark rock. A faint wind intermittently blew across the area, but otherwise the air was still, matching the trepidation Jiyan was sure they both felt.

He felt his feet shift unsteadily on the ground. Sand, he realised with a hint of annoyance. Not only did it compromise mobility, but using any of his Aero-empowered abilities would simultaneously impair visibility.

He would have asked a question, but Rover seemed to be on high alert, and for good reason. A couple moments later cyclonic winds appeared at the centre, quickly expanding in diameter.

They both shielded their eyes to the new sandstorm. We can’t dodge this, Jiyan realised, but the currents died down almost as soon as they appeared, revealing a large simian creature.

Feilian Beringal.

The giant ape was an imposing figure, with its black and white fur and left hand aglow with green Aero energy. Jiyan knew all too well the strength in its thunderclap and the power in its generated gusts. It was his primary Echo after all.

Rover unsheathed her sword as he drew his broadsword. Let the game begin.

They charged, approaching the Beringal from opposite sides.

It seemed unsure of whom to focus, leaping backwards to gain some distance but also to scrutinise its attackers. Rover took to the air with a grappling hook, narrowing the distance, and came down at the ape’s feet with a plunging attack.

Beringal reared upwards and she swung in short arcs. It occurred to him that it was the first time they were fighting side-by-side since the Dreamless. That time, her Havoc abilities were newly acquired. He could see the difference in her fighting style.

Jiyan closed the gap with his resonance skill, slightly clunkier than he would have liked with the sword over his usual lance. He swung along in a horizontal arc, striking Beringal across his left leg. It roared and leaped into the air.

He spun out of the way, catching a glimpse of Rover in his periphery. She was waiting for…  something. “Rover, get back!” he shouted, but too late. The ape crashed down with its arms striking the ground as she attempted to release her Echo.

She miscalculated, he knew. She was thrown back the force of the impact.

He sprinted to her side, releasing the Gulpuff in proximity, its healing aura encompassing the area.

She was already propped on both elbows as he knelt. “Are you okay?”

“Fine… it’s… fine. Thank you for the Gulpuff.”

“Have you fought the Beringal before?”

“Once.”

He glanced upwards to locate the ape. It was eyeing them cautiously but was making no efforts to approach.

“Be careful when it jumps. Or claps. You can’t interrupt the ability.” She nodded.

He stood, extending a hand to help her back to her feet. The Havoc energy was beginning to radiate off her now. “I will go first,” he stated as he half-turned to face the ape, “And you follow-up.”

“Alright.”

Rover didn’t see Jiyan move that time, but sand dispersed on either side as he shot towards the TD. He forwent his blade; the lance returned. The teal colour danced before her, twirling above his head and around him. He threw it- allowing it to spin upwards in a large spiral to clip the monster in its face before returning to his hand.

She moved, running towards Feilian Beringal. She was at its feet before Jiyan could resume his onslaught.

Devastation, she thought, and released her Havoc Energy.

He heard the grunt at her side and the roar of the ape. She resisted the urge to turn to face her partner; the dark surge would only last for so long.

Her attacks, now empowered, seemed to be weakening the enemy. The Wing manifested, allowing her to strike higher, faster. Her sword, now a havoc-empowered scythe, arched around her.

The Beringal countered, using the log in its hands and its spin to generate a sand tornado. She was caught in the winds, on her knees and barely able to open her eyes. The sand seemed to slice across her skin like pieces of glass.

Through the haze, she saw the teal dragon. Jiyan had used his resonance liberation- his Qingloong now soaring towards the ape. The general dashed into the winds, the dragon entering the tornado and proceeding to fly in its counter current.

The winds died down enough for her to open her eyes. Jiyan was seeped in his resonance energy, the Loong an extension of his own power. He didn’t need an…

“Rover!”

The log was above her. She attempted to dodge out of the way, only to see the flash of teal and black in her periphery as a body crashed into hers.

She landed face-first, breathing fast. She was spared from the TD’s attack but… the torso of the general was draped over her back, her wing. His arm in the sand to their side steadying him from crushing her against hisweight.

“I need you to stay here,” he whispered in her ear. “I got it from here.”

She did not have the breath to argue. His Gulpuff reappeared as he stood, lance already in hand. She rolled onto her back and sat up as he moved away. Her wing disappeared.

“I mean it Rover.” He called back at her.

She watched as he launched into the air again, his Qingloong at his back, launching his lance towards the Beringal. The Emerald Storm, she mused. She could understand why he was dangerous in battle. Jiyan himself: he was graceful in the way all Aero resonators were- weaving out of the way, advance to attack then slip out of reach. But the main difference was his Loong- it kept any enemy at bay while simultaneously dealing damage.

Rover wondered about Jiyan’s Awakening. Apart from Jinhsi, she could think of no other resonators who could summon true forces of nature in this way- these sustained manifestations. Maybe one day she’d ask him.

She blinked back to the battle at hand- how strange to be the person on the sidelines. But Jiyan was right, the fight was soon over. Feilian Beringal disappeared in an explosion of gold.

He came rushing over to her, recasting his echo for good measure and joining her on the sand. He was breathing deeply, but did not seem out of breath.

“How are you? That was a nasty tackle, I apologise.”

“Probably better than getting ground into sand by a log. But I’m fine. Your damage towards the end was incredible.”

“You weakened it and gave me time to get have energy for my Resonance Liberation.” He said with an awkward chuckle. “The wing…”

“An unfortunate remnant from the Dreamless.”

“I remember. I think ‘unfortunate’ is a poor choice of word. It’s… unique.”

“That’s no better," she said with a chuckle.

“I think it suits your Havoc persona.”

“I don’t know what you mean by that, but I’ll take it for now.”

He only smiled.

Two doors materialised at the edge of the arena, each with a deep mahogany frame and swirling galaxies inside- one red, one purple.

“Do you want to do one more challenge before taking a break?” she asked. “Personally, I don’t really want to stay here.”

“It is quite ominous, isn’t it? Up to you. I was more concerned about you after braving those winds.”

“Oh no, look. Completely okay. We thank the Gulpuff. The second challenge is never as difficult as the first.”

“Alright.”

They got to their feet and headed to the doors.

“You decide,” Rover told him, “But know I will blame you if we have to fight the Dreamless next.”

“No pressure then,” he said, unable to hide the mirth in his eyes. “I choose… purple.”

CHALLENGE TWO

They appeared in on a grassy plateau on the side of a mountain ridge. The sky above was a mix of pastel blue and pink, giving the impression of early sunrise.

“I’ve been here before,” Rover said. “We need to clear two waves of the TDs. There,” she pointed to a meadow closer to the mountain across a gorge. “And there,” he gestured vaguely in another direction.

She headed toward the edge of the plateau, eyeing the drop with caution. A derelict car was propped between the two mountains, providing a questionable bridge. “We could grapple,” Jiyan offered. “Although I’m not sure we’d reach all the way.”

“Last time…” Rover mused, “Last time I had to cross halfway.”

She looked across at Jiyan.

“I might be too heavy,” he said, completing the thought for her. “You should go first then. If it goes down as I cross, I’ll grapple to the rock face and climb up.”

She raised her eyebrow as he shrugged. “You’ve seen the Hovering Ruins. I think you forget that I have been on active military duty for years.”

He said it nonchalantly, but Rover couldn’t help but wonder whether she had crossed a line.  “I haven’t forgotten. I just…” She just what? “I’m sorry. I just… worry. I normally do these things by myself.”

“No offense taken. I’m just reiterating that you don’t need to worry about me.” He paused for a second as an idea struck him. “Actually, to prove my point, how about this. If there are no overlord class TDs here, shall we alternate?”

“You mean… I fight the first wave, and you the second?”

“Yes. Of course, if it does escalate, we can call for help. Deal?”

“Deal.” They shook on it.

***

Rover cautiously climbed down onto the car. It held her weight, the ivy that suspended the car going taut. She inched across, dreading the sound of the creaking metal, but eventually, she made it to the midpoint and grappled to the other side.

She looked back at Jiyan. He met her gaze with a self-assured expression before following her path.

He was on the car. It was fine.

A step forward- The car remained stable.

On the second step forward, she heard the snap of the ivy and the horrifying sound of metal on rock as the car began to slide along the mountain wall.

She watched in silent dread as the general made two short steps forwards, seemingly unfazed by the danger, before launching into the air. He would land short, she knew, and wouldn’t be able to active the hook again.

But Jiyan did not fall. He reached the summit of the grapple and activated his resonance skill, dashing forward on the wind, and gracefully landing on the cliff’s edge beside her.

“I think,” Jiyan said, fleetingly placing his hand on her shoulder, “You need this trust exercise more than I do.”

She didn’t say anything; Jiyan was likely right. They continued forward, using the natural handholds to climb over rocks to reach the first meadow.

It was only when they arrived at the periphery did the TDs materialise- two Havoc Warriors, two Aero Predators and a Rocksteady Guardian.

She left Jiyan partially hidden below a tree. He was close enough to join a fight at a moment’s notice but sufficiently concealed that he would not be targeted by the enemies.

The Standard classes were not going to pose much of a problem, she knew, but on her adventures, she often forgot to dodge Guardian follow-up attack.

She grappled directly above the Aero Predators, plunging downward to immediately follow up with a flurry of attacks- they were eliminated easily. The Warriors came swinging, just as she parried and dodged out of the Guardian’s attack range.

She swung her sword in quick semi-circles, gathering resonance energy quickly. When the power was at its peak, she released it in a burst of Havoc energy. It was not enough to defeat the Warriors due to the resistances, but it did weaken them and the Rocksteady Guardian significantly.

She could attack faster now, the wing on her back now manifested. And it a few minutes the Havoc Warriors had also disappeared in a gold shower.

The Rocksteady Guardian was slow. Provided she kept moving out of its range, she would be fine. She released her echo- the Dreamless- and watched as it zipped through the air above and through the Guardian. It brought its arms down, and after a delay, the earth before it erupted to knock anything in its way off their feet.

She side-stepped, maximising the opening. Releasing her resonance liberation, her Havoc energy and echo power targeted the Guardian and it exploded into gold.

Jiyan was at her side in moments, as though he had been on the battlefield for the duration of the fight.

“As promised, no intervention,” he said, hands held up in a show of innocence, “But job well done.”

These were fights she could easily come across in her travels. And yet she could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. “Thanks,” she said somewhat awkwardly, already on the move to the second meadow.

After grappling across another ravine, Rover took a seat on the hill above grassy arena. Jiyan headed down, but not before casting his echo to heal her minor bruises. Th

“You might need this,” she said as he begun the climb down.

“You needed it first.”

As Jiyan’s feet touched the meadow, the Dreadmanes appeared, the three wolves stalking him from the peripheries. The general charged towards them, clearing preferring to strike first. He leaped into the air once close enough, bringing his lance down. Two of the wolves went airborne, the other leaped away onto an outcropping on the mountain side. It lifted its head to the sky, and its haunting howl echoed across the arena. A shield appeared on itself and its pack.

It didn’t matter- the armor dissipated quickly enough against Jiyan’s strength. He swung his lance like a boomerang, the wolves snapping but unable to get close enough to attack. He was biding time, Rover knew, for his energy regeneration. Once he triggered the Qingloong, the battle was as good as over.

She heard a growl to her left, to come face-to-face with a Dreadmane. The third wolf.  

She shot to her feet, sword in hand, awaiting the lunge.

She braced herself… for an attack that never came. Suddenly Jiyan was in front of her, arm barring her from the attacker. He looked over his shoulder. “This is my challenge,” he said before using his resonance skill to knock the wolf back into the arena.

His teal hair was almost wild in his generated wind currents. He called upon the teal dragon which dove towards the wolves, restraining them in a tight circle as he unleashed his flurry of lance attacks.

All three erupted in a golden shower simultaneously.

She grappled to join him at the centre of the meadow.

“That looked… easy.”

He wrapped a tendril of his hair behind his ear as he met her gaze with a smile. “I can’t believe you almost stole my challenge.”

“I… The Dreadmane was about to attack me.”

“We didn’t really come up with a rule for that, did we?” She could see the mirth in his eyes.

“Are you enjoying this?” she asked, allowing some of the astonishment to seep into her tone.

“It’s nice to spend this time with you, when the threat of death isn’t as imminent as with the Threnodian.”

Rover felt her cheeks go very warm.

“I dare say these are the easy challenges.”

“I suppose. But it’s still nice.”

Rover knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that she was enjoying this more than her first time in the Somnoire, that she also liked spending time with him, But him jumping between her and the wolf was reminiscent of the time he did the same with the Dreamless.

She could still remember his crumpling frame after he blocked the Havoc beam, his flickering Tacet Mark, that crushing sensation in her chest when she recognised his willingness to sacrifice himself for her.

But he would do that for everyone, she had thought later. He’d done it for years for the people of Jinzhou. 

She tried to focus on something else. Around them, she had already begun to hear the whispers of the Dreamers, their words hazy and their forms non-corporal. Normally, one of these could be her friend… a resonator, but she recognised no one. Jiyan didn’t seem to notice- his eyes were scanning the horizon as though the battle had triggered his hypervigilance. She did not miss those moments when they flashed to her.

So Rover said nothing about the Dreamers or his sacrificial tendencies. Instead, she managed to ask, “So… how about we take that rest now?”

Chapter Text

Towards the end of the meadow, two doors appeared, much like the choice before. Jiyan and Rover walked straight past, headed to the area just beyond, where the grass gave way to a seashore. The water gently lapped onto the sand, its surface rippling like liquid glass.

They sat down, letting the silence stretch comfortably between them.

“I didn’t hate your challenge,” Rover said finally, “But just to clarify, I had no doubts that you’d be able to win.”

“I know. But oftentimes, the brain needs a little more convincing.” He glanced across from her as he said it, and her heart gave a short stutter.

“Why’d you choose the purple?” she asked him, attempting to diffuse the energy.

“For the doorway?”

“Mm.”

“I suppose, after the Beringal, I didn’t think we should fight anything higher than an Elite class. Fusion energy is… red? So I thought it best to stay clear for now.”

She inclined her head. “But we do have to fight him eventually.”

“The sooner we do, the longer we must keep him hidden from the Ebony Gatekeeper. He seems to be doing a pretty good job himself.”

Rover nodded in agreement. She chanced a look around. “I haven’t sensed him recently. I suppose some of the rooms haven’t been touched by his influence yet.”

“Still, it’s a bit strange,” Jiyan mused.

“What’s strange?”

He leaned back onto his elbows and Rover had to crane her body to look at him.

“The choice of TDs. With the exception of the Guardian, they’ve all been resistant to one of us. It could be a coincidence…”

“Or it might not be,” Rover said, completing his thought. She turned her attention back to the water, mind reeling at the implications.

She heard him change position beside her, followed by a click and a soft hiss. Jiyan touched her arm. “Here, take this.”

“Where did you keep this?” she asked incredulously, staring at the Jinzhou skewer he extended to her.

He patted his faux Terminal that he kept to the front of his uniform. “Gift from my mother. Useful for first aid… and the occasional snack.”

She took the skewer from him with thanks and was glad when he revealed another for himself. “I think you were better prepared for this than I was,” she told him,

“I just think I am over-prepared... I had no idea what we were walking into.”

“Probably for the best,” she agreed with a chuckle.

They took a bite of the skewer, relishing in the flavour, It was finished in seconds.

“Rover, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you come here by yourself? Surely the Patrollers would be on the case.”

“I…” she paused, trying to decide between full honesty or diplomacy.

“I wanted to do something on my terms.”

“What do you mean? Do you… normally find yourself with lost autonomy?” There was something in his eyes that she could not place.

“I think people are very… selective in what they tell me. And while I make the decision in the end, the situation always feels orchestrated. With the Ovathrax…” She was painfully aware that she was rambling, but the floodgates had been opened. “I kept getting the information in pieces and from different people. And always after some crisis. But if Jinzhou was in danger, what else would I do?”

Rover wasn’t looking at him now.

“How much of the prophecy did you know before we met?” Jiyan asked quietly at her side.

She could recite it almost verbatim now:

Beneath the full moon, guide the returning one to confront the Threnodian.

From the threat itself, she shall reclaim the power to conquer it.

“None of it. And I understand that not everyone knew of it… and thank you for telling me but…” She let the thought fade away.

“No one really knows who you are,” Jiyan said after an extended silence. “You sound like the person of legend; you have the power foretold. But we are careful people. When life has been a battlefield for so long, one treats everything, even the promise of hope, with caution.”

“Even you?”

“As General,” he began slowly, “I’m not… afforded the luxury of wishing a saviour would one day rid Huanglong of all its troubles. But you… regardless of your identity Rover, I believe in you. It’s why I told you the prophecy- even if you were the person of legend or not, I saw that look in your eyes that day with the Thundering Memphis. That… resolution. Nothing I said, or didn’t say, would stop you from doing what you thought was right.”

He broke off, perhaps acutely aware that he was now rambling. Rover felt the heat in her cheeks. There was intimacy in being seen, she realised- the knowledge that someone took the energy to decipher you.

He cleared his throat. “Regardless, I think you’ve gotten a unique opportunity to see this world through a different lens,” he continued, pursuing another train of thought. “There are a lot of us who’ve known only the war, the losses. We can’t see through that. Maybe what Huanglong needs isn’t a new Commander or Magistrate, but an objective participant who can help guide us to the new world.”

He sounded like Scar in that moment, but she didn’t say it. This New World- She was sure they both had different ideas of what that looked like.

She gave him a small smile. “I suppose we’ll see.”

There was also that small part of her that wished he didn’t see her as a returning saviour or a being who defied the laws of time.

Rover lay back on the sand- listening the sound of the waves on the shoreline, the soft rhythm of Jiyan’s breathing beside her. He was looking at her, she knew. But she didn’t know what to say when her heart overrode her logical thought. She chose the cowardly way out, closing her eyes to escape into her dreams.

Rover blearily opened her eyes to find herself near Taoyuan Vale,

“Long time no see,” said a voice. That voice. the world around slowly coming into focus.

The Fractsidus overseer appeared before her, regarding her cooly with his arms folded.

Rover mirrored his posture. “I thought you wouldn’t be able to do that here.”

“I find it more interesting that you’ve managed to fall asleep in this realm,” he countered with a slight sneer. “Though General Jiyan might be a contributing factor.”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Are you only this irritable with me?” he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I’ve only come to check in. We haven’t seen each other in some time. Now why would that be?”  

He strode forward. “Preparing, maybe? Or… doubtful that I was here in the first place? Or…” He stopped in front of her. “Just enjoying time with your general?” He placed a finger on her chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. “Because that, dear Rover, really hurts my feelings.”

She swatted his hand away with a scoff.  

“You’re stuck here, it didn’t seem like I needed to rush.”

“And yet you took your fair time, and this realm is clearly being… affected by . Lessons to be learned.”  

She stayed quiet, and he jumped on it. “Touched a nerve there, didn’t I? It’s almost like you’re not allowed to be happy with mediocrity.”

“Jiyan isn’t…”

He shushed her by cupping her face with his hand. “I’m merely making an observation, love. Besides,” his eyes narrowed, “You know I’m not wrong.”

He let her go as quickly as he touched her. “I imagine we’d be seeing each other very soon. I can’t let this impiety continue.”

He turned to go.  

“Wait,” Rover called out to him. “The Ebony Gatekeeper. Have you seen him?”

Scar half-turned, looking genuinely baffled. “Who?”  

“He’s a guardian for this realm. He wants your power.”

He chuckled darkly. “I’d love to meet him. No one has tried that yet.”

“Scar…”  

“Is this genuine care, Rover?”

“I just saved this world, I don’t want to do it again so soon.”

“Keep telling yourself that. But now that you mention it, why wouldn’t I want that?” His eyes sparkled dangerously. “Maybe I should go looking for this guy.”

She swore under her breath.

“I don’t think you’d be happy in that arrangement,” she managed to say.  

“And what do you know of my happiness when you’ve denied me so many times.” She saw his eyes flash to the trees behind. She tried to follow his gaze but only met dense foliage. “Well, apart from that time…”

Whatever retort Rover considered died in her throat.

“That was a dream.”  

“Very telling of your subconscious.” He met her eyes with an impish delight and then shrugged. “You will come to me on your own terms eventually.”

With a final smirk, he turned and strode away, before disappearing entirely.

She awoke slowly, gaze instantly falling onto Jiyan’s resting form beside her. He lay flat on his back.

Somehow, she had rolled to her side, her arm now draped across his chest. His hand held it there lightly. She watched the rise and fall of his breathing, wondering if she should wake up him, but panicked at the thought of making him uncomfortable.

Her thoughts flashed back to the dreamscape. Scar was wrong. He had to be. She was allowed to be happy. But the more she thought about it, she wondered whether this happiness would be allowed with Jiyan. Not knowing who she was or what she was truly here for, it complicated things.

She was broken out of her reverie by Jiyan slowly moving his hand away from hers. She rolled away instantly.

“I am so s…” she began, utterly mortified.

“Don’t say it. It’s alright.” His voice was heavy, the sound of someone who had just awakened from deep sleep.

They both sat up slowly. Rover scanned her mind for something… anything to say… Just to avoid mentioning that the fact that they kept crossing professional boundaries.

“We were probably more tired from those fights than we realised,” Jiyan stated, rescuing her from the thought spiral, “Probably good that we got some rest while we could have.”

He sounded a bit distant, Rover thought, but put it down to the grogginess. “Definitely,” she agreed.

There was a ripple in the water, and she focused on the area. Two snake-like creatures rose from the seafloor, gently swaying with the water currents and hyper-focused on Jiyan and herself. Rows of teeth were easily visible despite the distance.

“What are those?” she asked, pointing at them.

“They’re… not native to Jinzhou, that much I can say,” Jiyan said quietly, “But I do believe they’re our sign to leave.”

Chapter Text

CHALLENGE THREE

Heeding Jiyan’s previous logic, Rover selected the purple galaxy to step through. The pair found themselves in an area reminiscent of the Port City of Guixu. Here, the air was a noxious orange, boulders and debris scattered haphazardly around.

“This has been…”

“Touched by Scar’s Elysium,” Jiyan completed for her.

She looked around. The area was desolate despite the crackling small fires. “It feels like we’ve come late to the fight.”

Jiyan kicked some rubble to extinguish one of the flames. “I know what you mean.” A sudden shout echoed across the wasteland. “Wait… do you hear that?”

 “There’s someone else here!” she said with a tinge of panic in her tone, “We need to help them.”

“Rover!” Jiyan called after her as she sprinted toward the sound. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with!”

Jiyan easily matched her pace as they raced through. The shout came from everywhere and nowhere, seemingly changing origin as they got closer to supposed source.

They stopped on a platform to recalibrate. The remnant of pillars gave the impression it was once a home, accurately capturing the destruction of the Lament when it struck the region. A possibility crossed her mind- Perhaps what they heard were memories?

She was about to share her thoughts with Jiyan when the voice… voices… could be heard again. There seemed to be more now and the scurry of a battle, but there was still no human or TD in sight.

Then a flame erupted above them. There was once an overpass which would have arched across the suburbs. Now, it was only a broken reminder.

“Was that…?”

“One way to find out.”

While it would have been possible to climb the supporting beams of the overpass, it seemed more energy-efficient to walk along the fractured road.

They made their way to the area where the motorway began its gradual incline. The rubble was worse here, likely a result of the collapse of the road network and supporting infrastructure of the buildings

“There’s a Resonance Beacon up here… in the real world,” Rover said in a bid to make conversation and distract herself from the challenge ahead. She steadied herself on a large boulder, looking back to see Jiyan easily leap onto the one behind her.

“Have you come to the Sea of Flames before then?”

“Lollo Logistics once got a job here and needed some support. ‘We Promise, We Deliver’!” She shot him a grin as she pulled up on a metal bar as leverage to reach road level.

But Jiyan didn’t smile at her mention of the company’s infamous catchphrase.

“I heard that the area was now classified as an amber zone. I just didn’t clock that it was… your work.”

Rover shrugged, unsure of what to say.

“The Incinero Flowers are lethal,” he continued, looking up at her, “Resonators last longer than others, but…”

“We had support. The goal was to clear the area of the flowers to at least make the Sea of Flames safe. Well, as safe as one can be. And… we were successful.” She extended her hand to him, but he shook his head. He followed her method of climbing onto the highway.

“I’m not surprised that you were. It’s just… you could have died.”

I almost did. Rover thought.

“And,” Jiyan continued, “It’s good that Lollo Logistics now have a thoroughfare if needed. But… at the risk of your life? It seems unnecessary.”

 “It was fine in the end.”

“It’s really not the point.”

 “I don’t know what you want me to say.” She stayed silent for a moment before quietly adding, “I can’t sit still when I know I can help.”

“It is your MO,” he replied, equally as soft.

They were now side by side, gravel crunching below their feet. Rover could see the Beacon in the distance, its energy radiating upwards.

“I feel as though I’ve lost the moral high ground to say anything, when it’s exactly what I have done to you. With the Threnodian…”

“That was different.”

“How?”

Both presented immediate and sizable risks to human life. But… “The Ovathrax could have destroyed the entire of Huanglong.”

“Point taken but…”

“Jiyan,” she said, before he could get another word in. “You had no other choice. I had a choice, and I chose to help. You would have done the same. Maybe the Lollo Logistics situations was an unfair deal, but someone could have died.”

“That’s… fair.” Though his tone suggested anything but.

The road had begun to plateau now. “Is that…?” Rover said, pointing at a figure in the distance. They were fighting- weaponless, Rover noted with horror. But the enemy was too far ahead to identify. Flames roared and they heard the pained shout.  

“Jiyan…!”

“On it.”

They broke into a run. The offending TDs in question appeared to be Viridblaze Saurians- large amphibian lizards that were able to breathe fire. They were pack creatures and the stranger was vastly outnumbered. Rover counted seven? In reality, she had only seen a maximum of three.

The figure was cloaked. For battle logistics, it made little sense, but they were putting up a fight, dodging frontal attacks and side-stepping the flames.

The TDs were relentless. One swung its tail, and the stranger was struck backwards. Rover ran to his side while Jiyan charged the Saurians.

“Are you alright?” she asked, kneeling at his side. They had managed to sit up on their own, hood still drawn over their head. They were breathing fast, but it was even- Rover did not feel too worried.

“Yes, although I must have sprained my wrist.” Their voice sounded unused, but it was deep. “Are you… real?”

“As real as anyone can be.”

He let out a low chuckle. “It’s nice to talk to someone. It’s been a while.”

“How long?” Rover asked.

“It’s hard to say. The days sort of all merged.”

“They really do.”

The stranger attempted to shift his position but found his hands non-cooperative.

“Can I see your wrist?” Rover asked, noting his discomfort.

“Probably came in here prepared, didn’t you? You seem like the type.” He extended his arms.

Rover was wrong in her assumptions about his injuries. His left hand was burned, and small scars laced their forearm. A quick look at the other revealed similar damage.

“How were you fighting with this?” she asked incredulously, reaching to get her first aid kit from her travel bag and removing the burn cream and bandages.

“I didn’t realise it was this bad.”

“You don’t mind…?”

“Never,” he replied so softly that Rover was sure she misheard.

Now sitting in front of him, she took his left hand and rested it on her knee and began tending to the wounds. She turned partially to keep an eye on Jiyan. He was making quick work of the TDs, the winds of his Forte ruffling her hair.

“Boyfriend? Strange place for a date.”

She chuckled. “No, not a boyfriend and not a date.” She offered nothing further. “What brings you here?”

“Sort of accidentally stumbled in.”

“You’re a Resonator?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I thought only Resonators could enter the Somnoire.”

He stayed silent for a minute, wincing slightly as Rover cleaned the fresh wounds. “I am- Fusion. It’s probably why I didn’t realise the burn damage.”

Rover didn’t want to push despite her rising wariness, so she continued to hyper-focus on bandaging his left arm before moving to the right.

“How is that?” she asked, watching as he flexed his fingers.

“You did a good job.” Rover could see a small smile under the hood. Her heart warmed at the gratitude, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the situation was bizarre.

Jiyan appeared shortly after she finished, dematerialising his spear as he kneeled to join them. Rover met his gaze as soon as he was at eye level. “How was it?” she asked him.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, but I might need to borrow your burn cream.” He turned to face the cloaked stranger. “Rough situation you found yourself in. How are you feeling?”

“They really came out of nowhere, those TD’s. But I’m better now.” His voice sounded strained now but outwardly he gave nothing away. He held up his forearms, and Jiyan nodded approvingly at the bandage handiwork.

“I’m Jiyan by the way. Would have shaken your hand but might not be the best under the circumstances… And you are?”

Silence, before the man eventually chuckled. “I find it a bit concerning that you come this close to a stranger without even asking their name, Rover.”

Wait, she didn’t…? That voice. She felt Jiyan tense beside her.

“Such blatant disregard for all the red flags.”

He drew his hood back to reveal white hair with the red streaks, mismatched eyes, multiple scars across the face, the smile she saw in many a nightmare.

She stumbled back as Jiyan jumped to his feet.

“At ease General,” Scar said almost bored. “I wanted to enjoy that moment.” He closed his eyes as though savouring a meal.

Rover and Jiyan exchanged a look before the general extended a hand to help her up.

“Alright.” Scar effortlessly stood. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. So which one of you should I kill first?” His eyes were alit with a manic energy. “General Jiyan, abandoning your post for a civilian- I do believe there are rules about that in the Army.”

“Wrong Army,” Jiyan stated. His shoulders were set, eyes narrowed- this was the military leader.

But it mattered little to Rover. “Leave him alone,” she said, moving to stand between him. She was the one who got him arrested and who taunted him in the Dreamscape. “Your fight is with me.”

Scar regarded her cooly. “On the contrary- I hate everything he represents. You on the other hand…” He met Jiyan’s gaze over Rover’s head. “So what say you, General? Shall we leave Rover out of this?”

“Yes.”

“Jiyan!” she turned suddenly to look at him.

“Nothing will happen to you on my watch.”

“What was happening right now?” Rover thought frantically.

Scar clapped his hands together. “This is perfect. Let’s do this.”

He raised a hand and Rover felt herself move backwards to the Resonance Beacon, handcuffs made of purple energy materialising around her wrists and securing themselves to a metal bar.

“Oh your expression. Priceless.” Scar grinned, “I forgot to mention, I have some additional… abilities… in this realm. Havoc in a world of dreams manifests as this…” Purple sparks danced on his fingers, “Physical energy, unbound to Forte. The possibilities are endless.”

“Jiyan, don’t do this,” she pleaded. “Help me out of this.”

The teal-haired man remained silent.

“Didn’t he say anything? He came to save y… sorry, sacrifice himself. Lest I try to kill you.” Scar laughed again, hands beginning to glow purple. “Idiotic really. I would never hurt you, Rover. Not permanently anyway.”

Scar clenched his fist, and Jiyan was forced to his knees. “If I had to be stuck in this realm, I might as well get rid of one of the obstacles in my path.”

Chapter Text

CHALLENGE FOUR

When Jiyan was much younger, there was a travelling circus that came around every few years. His parents were usually hired to be on standby in case of any medical emergency at the event and that often-meant free tickets.

Jiyan particularly enjoyed the acts involving the TDs: The Laser show involving the Roseshrooms, the domesticated Hooscamps, the Lightcrusher tamer. He did not yet appreciate the danger they presented, and childhood innocence allowed him to believe that he lived in a world where humans and these magical creatures co-existed.

What he liked the least was the House of Mirrors. The associated feeling of getting lost- your only companion being your terrified face staring back at you- was enough to encourage nightmares for a week afterward. As he got slightly older, added to the list were those magicians with their sleight of hand- hat there one moment, gone in another. His growing combat knowledge made it a terrifying enemy.

How did one fight against something they could not see?

How could one plan for something when your fear kept you from seeing the truth?

Smoke and mirrors. If ever asked what his biggest fears were, that was what he would say.

He thought of this as Scar’s empowered Forte held him in place. In the moment, Scar reaching out to him in the dreamscape was unexpected, he knew that. The Fractsidus overseer had given him a choice- he could have chosen to go North. But Rover’s words echoed in a distant memory: The illusion of a choice. Somehow Scar knew his secret.

Sometime, during the course of their adventures, he had developed another fear- losing Rover.

“And what do you know of my happiness when you’ve denied me so many times. I mean, apart from that time…”

Maybe Scar could see his unspoken words because he too felt them. Like recognising like. He recalled that dream in the Vale. He had stayed out of sight as the two of them interacted. Curiosity rooted him in the spot- They knew each other, more than Jiyan originally thought. What if…?

Rover did want to come to the Somnoire alone but how much of that was out-of-character? It was difficult to say. 

And now, he would die because of… for… her. Fitting, he supposed. He did it once against the Dreamless. Maybe it was his fate to die for the saviour of Huanglong, rather than the other way around.

Rover was crying now as she struggled against her restraints. He tried to block it out, as he was sure Scar was attempting, but it was an uncanny sound. She never struck him as someone who cried.

“Scar please. I’ll do… anything,” he heard her say.

“Because of him?” Scar replied. “I don’t want that either. That eternal reminder would be heartbreaking. Speak to me after you mourn him.”

“What makes you think Rover will join you if you kill me in cold blood?” Jiyan said, straining against his invisible bonds to look at Scar.

“What makes you think I would kill you in anything but a fair fight?” Scar said, amusement crossing his features. He released his grip and Jiyan felt the invisible binds fall away. “On your feet General. We’ll make this quick and then Rover can think about getting me out of here.”

Jiyan did stand, fighting against the sensation that his gear felt like lead.

In war, one always knew what you were fighting for. In his case, it was always for his country and its people. Death would be honourable. Even when he stood between Rover and the Dreamless, he later reasoned that he was safeguarding the future of Huanglong… even though in the moment, he moved without thinking- the vice-like grip on his heart erasing all conscious thought.

Now, as he stared at the Fractsidus leader before him, it occurred to him that it was the first time he was fighting for himself.

His lance appeared in his right hand as Scar revealed a pack of cards. He struck Jiyan as a performer- someone who enjoyed the art of combat as much as the results.

The teal-haired general found himself between Scar and Rover as the latter began consulting his cards and removed thirteen from the pack.

“I think,” Scar said, brandishing his cards like a fan before him, “This fight can be over in one suit. And I’ll be kind- No Elysium.”

“Your generosity knows no bounds,” Jiyan said impassively.

“And you’re funny too!” Scar said with a laugh. “But I tire and I have things to do. Let’s get on with it.”

Two.

A card whipped through the air and landed at Jiyan’s feet glowing red. Was it…?

“They explode, be careful!” Rover shouted from the back.

He managed to leap out of the blast radius just in time.

Queen.

“And that’s enough from you. I said, a fair fight.”

“It’s not fair when your abilities are boost-” The card he’d thrown at her clamped tightly onto her mouth.

“You have me wasting cards, Rover,” he said, feigning annoyance that didn’t quite reach his features. “As for you…”

Jiyan had taken the momentary disturbance to charge, the wind currents to increase his speed. But Scar was faster, side-stepping and bringing his leg up, striking Jiyan to the side of his chest.

The general was thrown backwards from the sheer force, landing on his feet. He recovered quickly and casted the Gulpuff, its healing aura minimising some of the damage, before charging again. This time his lance met Scar’s forearm and was quickly countered by a roundhouse kick. Jiyan leapt into the air and cast his Resonance Liberation.

“Oh the Qingloong,” Scar taunted. “Much better than a Gulpuff.”

The teal dragon surrounded its enemy, its winds whipping Scar’s scar in every direction. He was forced to his knees and Jiyan was sure he had an opening.

But Scar suddenly disappeared from the eye of the storm, bridging the distance between them faster than Jiyan’s eyes could follow. He was in front of him suddenly, leg raised for another kick. Jiyan parried, using his lance as a fixed point to meet Scar’s onslaught with a kick of his own.

He connected and Scar was forced back into the Qingloong’s winds.

Three. Four. Five.

Three cards flew out of the whirlwind and landed around Jiyan. Already on his backleg, all he could do was brace for the explosion. The change in air pressure was enough to dissipate the dragon and knock Jiyan off his feet.

It was Scar’s turn to charge, knocking the general into the air, attacking multiple times before they both crashed into the ground. The lance dematerialised.

Six. Seven. Eight.

That blast was a direct hit. The structure shook and Jiyan fell back, craning his neck to cast a quick look at Rover. She was far enough that she remained unscathed from the airborne rubble. The raven-haired girl wasn’t looking at him though- she seemed intent on freeing herself from the Beacon.

The moment was enough for Scar to disarm him of his broadsword, knocking it away as he held a card to Jiyan’s carotid.

King.

Scar was breathing fast, deep. A zealous grin plastered to his face as he knelt closer to Jiyan.

“I do apologise for this, general. Sincerely. To be honest, the Fractsidus could deal with the Midnight Rangers’ interference… but I can’t have you being a distraction to Rover. She deserves more than that.”

“Like you?”

The smile never left his face. “I know her- the real her- a lot better than you. And there’s only one way where she heralds in the New World.”

Jiyan had no idea what he was talking about, so he remained silent.

“Not going to plead? Bargain? I was looking forward to telling you no.”

When Jiyan refused to say anything, he sighed.

He clenched his fist again and forced Jiyan into a kneeling position as he stood, the card still poised dangerously.

“Rover?” Scar called, meeting her glare across their battlefield. “You’re missing the closing act. I beat my own challenge. Defeated your general in under thirteen cards.”

Jiyan chanced a look at her. The game was rigged from the start, joining her on the mission was the death sentence he did not know about. His only consolation… she was no longer crying. She met his eyes with a vitality that gave him strength, had it not been for Scar’s restraints.

“I understand the appeal.” Scar gripped Jiyan’s face and turned it to each side. “But frankly, a bit underwhelming. Is this really the man you’d throw everything away for?” 

Jiyan could not look at her any longer, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. This was how he died- dishonoured, embarrassed, in a world that did not even exist.

Scar was right- he did not know Rover, not really. His feelings made no sense and yet. Yet.

“Yes,” the voice carried across the distance. “That is the man I’d risk everything for.”

Rover was standing now, her restraints broken behind her, purple Havoc energy crackling in her fingertips.

Havoc in a world of dreams. The possibilities are endless.

“Now leave him alone.”

Rover moved faster than he’d ever seen, her wing manifested, sword drawn. She looked like an avenging angel of the stories.

Jiyan sensed Scar’s surprise, his binds grew weak and the card no longer remained perched at his neck, dropping harmlessly to the ground. He broke free, increasing the distance between them as Rover released her echo. The Dreamless zipped through the air around the Scar.

Nine.

Ten.

Jack.

He threw the cards wildly, but the movements of the Dreamless knocked them down. The platinum-haired man looked slightly fazed as he stood from the attack. No words were spoken but they both seemed to know what to do- they coordinated their Resonance Liberations.

Scar took the brunt of the damage and backed to the edge of the road.

“You know,” he said grimly, addressing Rover, “That was cheating.”

“Doesn’t count when you’re about to murder someone.”

 Scar shrugged nonchalantly.

Rover revealed the Resonator-dampening handcuffs from her bag. “You’re coming with us.”

“In those?” Scar scoffed. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“The way I see it- we always have a choice.”

Scar leaned backwards, tipping his centre of gravity over the edge, and fell.

Jiyan and Rover rushed towards him. Too late.

They could only watch as the ground rush towards him. Jiyan felt Rover grab his wrist.

Ace.

A card appeared in the space between Scar and the ground. It opened into a gateway.

Scar’s laughter continued to echo across the Sea of Flames as the door disappeared, and two others manifested on the road beside them.

Chapter Text

CHALLENGE FIVE

They took the closest door out of the  faux Port City of Guixu, neither one of them keen to spend another second there. The doorway opened to an open field; a small hill just visible ahead of them.

Jiyan lost count of the number of times he snuck a glance across at Rover. “What is this?” he wanted to ask her. “What do we mean to one another?” As it turned out, discussing battle plans and wishing to clarify sentiments required two different skill sets.

He thought back to her interaction with Scar:

Is this really the man you’d throw everything away for?

Yes.

There was no hesitation. The conviction was different to what he had seen on the battlefield- he’d been at war long enough to know how responsibility presented. This was the resolution in his heart reflected.

He did not have long to ponder the swirling thoughts in his mind when the enemies appeared. Dressed in red with masks over their faces, they bore a stark contrast to their current environment.

He chuckled when he heard Rover’s disparaging sigh. I have had enough of the Fractsidus, he translated.

“Do you want me to take this one?” he asked. They kept their distance from the targets, and it seemed that they had not been seen yet.

“Absolutely not, you just went up against Scar.”

“I’m fine.”

“Then explain why you have a limp… and yes, you haven’t done a great job at hiding it.”

He met her gaze slightly wide-eyed. His years of feigning on the battlefield were useless before Rover.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it. “We do it together. They shouldn’t be as difficult as their boss but I’m too…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say the word, but Jiyan noticed her exhaustion in the way she carried herself. Was it because of the Havoc energy she expended? He just nodded in agreement.

They stepped out in the field, aware of the moment when the Fractsidus registered their presence. Their bodies turned to face them like puppets- if the world around wasn’t so beautiful, it would have been terrifying.

Jiyan registered a Cannoneer and an Executioner. There was also another who had some sort of spider contraction built into the back of his suit.

“He likes knives,” Rover said at his side, following his gaze. “Just don’t get caught.”

The Cannoneer was stabilising his gun into the ground as the others charged them.

“I was about to ask you about a plan,” Rover said, hand on her sword sheath, as they watched their approaching enemies.

“We were fine last time,” Jiyan replied, drawing his broadsword.

“What, no lance?”

“I’m… conserving my resonance energy until needed.”

He saw Rover’s nod, but she couldn’t hide the concern that quickly crossed her features.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“Mmhmm,” came her curt reply before the Fractsidus were in striking distance.

A boom echoed across the field and a shadow appeared above them. They dove in opposite directions, dodging the direct cannon strike but not its explosive radius. Rover sheltered her eyes from the debris and was happy to see that Jiyan was already on his feet defending against the combatant wielding four knives in each of his artificial limbs.

She heard the executioner before she saw him and raised her sword to parry his blow before rolling out of the way. Her Tacet Mark was aglow, power ready to be harnessed, but she held back.

She slashed upwards with her sword, the blow connecting, and then proceeded to use a combination of strokes until the enemy disappeared into the cloud of gold.

She looked across at her partner. Rover could tell that the fight with Scar had drained him. While his strength remained unchanged, he moved far slower.

The knife-wielder vanished into a cloud of purple. Where…?

The cloud reappeared behind Jiyan, two weapons extending from the shroud to stab him in his back and then quickly removed. Jiyan stumbled to the ground. Rover moved, releasing her stored Havoc energy once within range. The output was enough, and Jiyan’s enemy also fell.

She heard the click once again across the battlefield. She looked up to see the projectile headed towards them, Jiyan clearly the main target.

She couldn’t get him out of the way; her arsenal was unable to block the attack. Unless…

She raised her hand in a similar fashion to Scar, feeling the tendrils of energy spark her Tacet Mark.

The cannon ball rediverted, curving back onto its original trajectory to return to its source. For good measure, she also released the Dreamless. He too blinked out of existence.

She fought the darkening at the edges of her vision and the sensation that her legs no longer felt as though they were hers. She managed to rush over to Jiyan. He was alert, and already on his feet.

“You need to stop saving me,” he said, eyes warm as he looked at her. “I’ve begun to feel a bit useless.”

Those eyes. “I keep taking the easier enemies,” she replied. “Are you okay?”

“I cannot lie, this fight really took it out of me. And my back…”

“I’ll take a look at it,” she said automatically, “…If it’s okay with you,” she quickly added.

She knew she didn’t imagine Jiyan’s chuckle, though he said nothing further.

“There’s a lake across… there.” She pointed to the far right. “Let’s take a break.”

Jiyan didn’t argue as she wrapped his arm around her shoulders, in a bid to partially carry his weight. This wasn’t new. She’d done this before after the Suspended Ruins, but somehow it felt different.

She made a detour towards a spherical beacon radiating green light. He was almost tempted to object to the additional distance but the second they were in range, he felt the calm traverse his body. It was more potent than the Gulpuff- he could feel his injuries knitting themselves back together.

“Better?” Rover asked softly.

“Yes.”

Eventually they arrived at their destination- at the shores of the lake. Its surface was unbroken and as smooth as glass. If he were feeling particularly daring, and not recovering from numerous injuries, Jiyan would not have opposed walking in.

While he was certain his wounds were almost-healed, Rover insisted on reviewing them, all the while avoiding his eye contact. He shrugged off his Hanfu, and removed the tank top, folding both neatly on the ground beside them.

After collecting her supplies at the side, she moved to sit behind him on the grass. The silence hung in the air like the heavy mist that occasionally shrouded Nostalgia Isle.

He cleared his throat. “So how does it look?”

He heard Rover drop whatever she was holding in her hand.

“Is it that bad?”

“No! Your wounds are basically non-existent. Though…” she ran her fingertips over the areas where he felt the knives enter, the gentleness at odds to the mild panic in her voice. “I suppose you will have some scarring.”

She removed her hand, but it was soon replaced by a cool sensation on the areas. “Just a cream… to help with the healing.”

“Thank you.”

Prior to being listed, he remembered having similar field training with colleagues. The lessons were endless, managing a plethora of conditions they could come across in combat- a broken limb, abdominal wound, laceration, head trauma, overclocking. They practised on colleagues. Jiyan never had a problem with professionalism- he saw his parents’ practice first-hand after all- and his instructor feedback was largely all the same:

Compassionate. Competent. Composed.

He seemed to lose two of these in Rover’s presence.

He felt as Rover nimbly dressed the wound sites, felt as she moved his hair to the side to instruct the rest of the area- palpating down his spine.

“I could mistake you for a combat medic,” he said, in a bid to break the silence.

“Don’t tease,” she half-huffed.

“I’m serious. The Basics of Field Medicine. I’m surprised- you’re as good as our rookies.” 

He felt her smile, even if he did not see it.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked

“I am. I think I just need to enjoy this quiet.”

“I thought you weren’t allowed to say that word.”

“Quiet?” He gave a quiet laugh. “In a hospital maybe. In battle, we enjoy it when we can.”

Rover made a soft sound of acknowledgement as she packed her belongings before moving to sit in front of him. There were dark circles just appearing below her eyes.

“What was it like… using your Attribute like that?”

He now knew better than to ask if she was fine. The answer never changed. They were similar in that way.

Her eyes widened slightly. “I…” she pursed her lips together, before continuing. “It felt like I was the Lament- rewriting the laws of physics. It hurts. It hurt…”

“You don’t have to. We’ll manage.”

“Then stop almost dying.”

“I could tell you the same.”

It felt like a standoff, until she broke eye contact, golden gaze falling to the ground as she fiddled with a small stone. “It’s not easy going against Scar like that,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “You seemed prepared to counter. Have you met him before?”

Jiyan ran through every permutation of the conversation spanning from military circulars, combat training, debriefs involving enemy resonators, the truth… But only one got him the answer he desperately needed to know.

He deliberated. If not then, when? Scar could be successful next time.

“I knew of Scar but I met him in a dream. I didn’t know anything about his escape from prison at the time. But… he said that whatever mission you were headed on was a death sentence. It could have been just a dream, but I couldn’t stop myself from heading to Port Gunchao.”

“You were there because of me.” She clarified, eyes wide and now focused on him. ‘Why didn’t you say something?”

He felt his cheeks reddening. “It was an emotional decision. When one is the leader of the military, it is poor practice and if I were wrong…”

He cleared his throat, steeling his core and his heart.

“I do not know when these… feelings… began.” He dared not look at her now. “But I thought better of it. You had a mission. I had my duty. And the Gulpuff Race… I didn’t want to do it,” he chuckled. “But you’d only just come, found two of my Rangers who needed help, and just volunteered. Without knowing anything about the race. I couldn’t tell you no when I knew they had no other choice.

“I saw it that day as well- you knew nothing of the prophecy and very little about the Battle Beneath the Crescent. You just charged to the Norfall Barrens and decided to join the fight. You stood to be harmed the most with the Retroact Rain- there was no telling which, if any, of your memories could awaken. You… surprised me. I’ve seen soldiers understandably cower from this danger.

“And then again, with the Dreamless. When you were down and I saw that Havoc beam headed towards you- all I thought- You could not die, not on my watch.”

“But you could have died.” Her voice sounded a bit strangled, and he looked up.

“And it would have been worth it. Although… it would have pained me if the last time I saw your face, you looked like this.” He ran a finger just below her eye to show her a tear.

“Jiyan…”

“I fell in love with you. For your bravery, foolhardy as it may be. For your heart, ready to lay down your life for a people and country that you barely know. For your smile, the real one that reaches your eyes.”

He was closer now, his hand had returned to her face, fingers trailing down her jawline.

“Tell me if I’m crossing a line,” he half-whispered.

“I want you to.”

It was all he needed, but he narrowed the distance cautiously, fixating on her half-closed gaze on his. Golden eyes sparkling with curiosity, anticipation and something else he couldn’t identify.

Their eyes fluttered close at the same time, their lips meeting shortly after. It was soft, chaste. He meant to end it there but then something flared within him.

His other hand went to her nape as he lowered her to the ground, contact unbroken. It was only when he felt her warm hands on his shoulder and trailing down his arms, did he realise he was still shirtless.

Oh the impropriety.

He pulled back slightly, the stab of panic cutting through the haze of his mind, but Rover would have none of it. She wrapped her arms across his upper back, fingers interlocking against his Tacet Mark. An electric shock ran down his body. It was far from unpleasant.

What was that?

“Your Mark is warm,” she whispered against his mouth.

“Mmhmm.”

“Does it hurt?”

“… Quite the contrary.”

She made a sound of approval at the back of her throat, prompting Jiyan to abandon her mouth to focus on the crook of her neck. She was breathing hard, her cheek against the angle of his jaw.

She interlocked her legs at his lower back, holding him closer, but…

“Rover, what are you trying to do?” he said, reversing his path back to the corner of her mouth.

“I want you… on your back,” she replied almost sheepishly.

“You have no leverage and I’m too heavy,” he said with a chuckle, pressing a small kiss to her mouth.

“I just want to…”

“Shhh,” Jiyan whispered, “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

He easily rolled off when she released him from her grip, Rover now straddling his hips. She seemed nervous, though was trying her best to hide it.

“Abby’s not going to interrupt, is she?” he said, taking her hand bearing her Tacet Mark and pressing his mouth to it.

“I… um, no. Not in the Somnoire at least.”

“That’s good.”

It occurred to Rover that she had never seen Jiyan like this. The soldier… the doctor… whatever mantle he had borne for so long was forgotten.

Her Tacet Mark emitted a soft glow. His kiss left a lingering sensation than travelled up her arm.

“Jiyan.. I don’t know…”

He took one of her hands and placed it at the back of his neck. “Now the other. See… easy.”

She pressed a tentative kiss onto his mouth, feeling his chest against hers, their breaths now synchronised. She took his lower lip between hers and felt his jolt as she let her teeth gently graze against it.

“Rover…”

His hands had gone to her waist now as she deepened the kiss- Jiyan’s sighs her only guide that she was doing something right.

Eventually, they just lay there, trapped in an embrace that seemed to extend forever. The water lapped softly onto the shore. The light breeze ruffled the grass around them. Overhead, the sky was aglow in shades of pink and purple.

She could feel Jiyan’s heartbeat. It echoed into her chest until her heart took the rhythm for its own.

Chapter Text

Rover woke to find herself wrapped against Jiyan’s bare chest, one of his arms providing an ample cushion for her head, the other resting lightly around her waist. She lay completely still in the crook of his neck, knowing that the slightest of movements would likely cause him to stir.

She thought she would have felt slightly panicked, but no. This was the first time she felt truly calm, unbothered by the fate of the world. She’d have to go back to it eventually, but right now…

She felt Jiyan press his mouth to the top of her head. “Good morning,” he whispered, voice slightly hazy.

“There is no measure of time in the Somnoire,” she said.

He chuckled. “That does not sound like someone who just woke up.”

“I was just… enjoying this.”

“We can enjoy it a little while longer.”

She looked up at him- that crooked morning smile with eyes reserved just for her. A bubble of peace, that’s what they offered each other right now.

“I’d like that.”

Rover was unsure when she dozed off again, but she awoke the Jiyan’s insistent touch on her upper arm. He’d managed to extricate his arm from below her head and was now sitting up. His gaze flickered between her and to something in the distance.

“…Jiyan?”

“Something has arrived onto the field,” he replied softly to her. There was tenderness there, but she could see his hesitation, torn between the man and the soldier.

Jiyan stood, extended a hand to her as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. He had dressed himself in the time she was asleep.

She took his hand and got to her feet, turning around to adjust her clothing.

“How long ago?” she asked, turning back around to meet his wandering gaze.

“About ten minutes? But of course, there’s no measure of time in the Somnoire. So who knows?”

Tongue in cheek, smile gracing her mouth, she just stared at him. He met her eyes innocently.

“I think I’m seeing a different side to you. Cheeky.”

“Do you like it?”

Yes. She wanted to say. I want to see more of it.

But instead, she drew her sword her sword and pointed it in the direction of the reverberations. “Ask me again. Later. We need to deal with that before it comes to find us.”

CHALLENGE SIX

Jiyan and Rover trudged side-by-side across the meadow, their hands brushing just enough times to tread that line between accidental and intentional.

Her heart was racing, and she knew it had nothing to do with the enemy that they were about to face. Somehow it was more difficult to feign nonchalance when one’s unarticulated crush became requited.

“It appears bipedal” Jiyan said finally,” A bit like… Oh,” he cast a worried gaze across at her.

“What?”

“It’s the Crownless.”

Her thoughts snapped back into focus as she focused to the centre of the area. As they got even closer, she could see the imposing white figure, standing tall with wings curved down. Its armoured head was reminiscent of a crown. And of course it had its weapon. Not dissimilar to Jiyan’s lance in terms of shape and function, but its emitted a dark purple energy.

“The Crownless was the first Tacet Discord I… fought… when I arrived,” she said quietly to Jiyan. “Fought” was an overstatement. She wasn’t sure what she was doing, her only thought was that new friends were in danger. “And we…”

“We fought but a shadow of it,” Jiyan acknowledged. “I worry…”

She knew what he was going to say. The Crownless’ resistance to Havoc energy was significant, far more than Scar’s. She would not be afforded the same protection from its attacks.

“I can’t let you fight it by yourself. You need a partner,” she said. And it was true. Even with Jiyan’s damage, the Crownless had the advantage of flight and it was notoriously difficult to counter its airborne onslaught.

He sighed. They’d arrived at the boundary of the arena. Once they stepped in, there was no voluntary surrender.

“We got this,” she said to him, flashing a brave smile. “We’ll talk about what I think of your sass later.”

He managed a small smile, “Sounds fair.” He stepped in front of her, lance materialising. “It’s nice having something to look forward to.”

***

The Crownless was a careful enemy, prowling the peripheries looking for a clear opening before it struck. Jiyan kept Rover behind him. It was tactical, he convinced himself- they could cover each other’s blind spots.

It strode towards them, its wings flexing slightly. Jiyan saw its grip on his weapon change, and he knew. The TD charged, drawing its lance back for a vicious swing. Jiyan raised his own weapon- the resounding echo of metal on metal resounded across the field.

It recovered quickly, blinking behind him to face Rover. Again, it raised its weapon and swung, but Rover met the attack with her sword. She followed through with the momentum, the edge of the blade just nicking the Crownless. It drew back, wings extended and spun.

The force of the gust threw them back. Its feathers were like razors. While Jiyan was spared from the brunt of it due to his position, his partner was not that lucky. He could see the rivulets of blood appearing on Rover’s dominant arm. She’d clearly tried to block with her weapon.

The Crownless strode towards them again… no, not them. Rover. Unlike many other TDs which were no different to animals, the Crownless was intelligent- it evaluated its enemy and modified its attacks. Its movements were calculated and now it seemed to identify Rover as the weaker link.

Its lance was brought down as the she dodged. Jiyan used the opportunity to spin on his heels, narrowing the gap between him and TD, to begin his onslaught. It parried some of his attacks; Its eyes were set on Rover.

It opened its wings, catching the wind to launch itself airborne, before diving towards the girl, Havoc energy erupting in its wake. He could not be sure what hit Rover first- its wings as it shot past here, or its raised weapon- but she fell back with a yelp.

It spun midair, its wings generating a miniature cyclone, which slammed into her.

It was moving too quickly and Jiyan realised with a jolt that they would be unable to fight if it remained airborne. Maybe his Qingloong? But with the TD indifferent to him, generation of his resonance energy would be slow.

He ran to Rover’s side as she raised a hand- her Dreamless materialised, slashing at the Crownless. The latter remained unfazed, as was expected. It was resistant to its own Attribute after all. Following Rover’s example, Jiyan cast his own Gulpuff and moved to stand in front of Rover as the Crownless dove again.

He caught it on its descent, clipping its wings with his broadsword. His second weapon was heavier, but it allowed greater strength to be wielded behind attacks. The Crownless roared, falling to the ground. Jiyan launched himself at it.

To the corner of his eye, he saw Rover also begin to move. “Stay back” he wanted to say but she was already in combat range, sword swinging with the power of her Havoc wing behind her.

It was the adrenaline fuelling her, he knew. There was no way she would have the power to wield her sword in that way if she felt the injuries he saw. Lacerations lined both arms- not deep but plentiful.

He thought they would have more time. If she could cast her echo one more time, he should have enough for Emerald Storm. But no.

The Crownless drew itself to its full height, one wing now limp, and met Rover’s blade with its own. He could only watch as the Crownless disarmed her, her sword now on the grass.

Jiyan charged, hoping to use the momentary distraction, but it spun again. The force of the gust threw him back and he was certain that time that Rover got hit. She fell to the ground, still conscious but her movements slowing. She tossed her hair back to meet the Crownless’ inhuman gaze and Jiyan could see the blood now on her face.

He got up and sprinted, launching into the air as he felt his Forte surge. The Qingloong materialised around him and hurtled towards the TD.

He saw Rover’s weak smile when she saw the dragon. Saw as the Crownless draw his lance in up upwards arc. Jiyan could easily map its trajectory- directly into Rover’s chest.

He willed the Teal Dragon to move faster but … His heartbeat droned in his mind’s ear as the lance began to come down.

Time slowed.

Out of the corner of his ear, he saw a red flash. A card flitted across the arena, snapping onto the lance and exploding almost immediately. The Crownless fell back, its weapon now careening out of reach.

“I don’t particularly like sharing,” said a very unamused, familiar voice. “But I take particular offence to anything killing my own target.”

Scar.

Jiyan did not think he would associate the man with a sense of relief. He met his mismatched gaze across the battlefield just at his Qingloong crashed into the TD. He refocused, willing the dragon to attack while the Crownless was down. The winds drew it away from Rover. She was not moving, Jiyan realised with a jolt, and he was too far away to see if she was breathing.

Scar stayed out of the range of his windborne attacks, trepidatiously drawing closer to the girl. Jiyan found himself less afraid of what Scar would do but rather on what he would find.

“Is she okay?” he called out to the Fractsidus Overseer.

The man raised his head to his voice, turned to look at the fallen Crownless, then back at him.

Message received. The distraction would cost him if he were not careful.

He drew his lance as his Qingloong dissipated. The Crownless did not seem to recognise Scar as a contender. It strode past them towards Jiyan. The general tossed his weapon, aiming for the other wing but the TD gracefully side-stepped, used the momentary loss of armament to attack.

Jiyan drew his broadsword, meeting the blow. He relished in the feeling of surprise, unique to TDs such as the Crownless.

It was weakening, perhaps from the loss of function of one wing, or the onslaught. It didn’t matter either way- The Crownless had depleted its resonance energy. The adrenaline that coursed through Rover earlier now empowered him, his resonance regeneration at maximal capacity. He activated his Liberation in quick succession.

He was breathing hard when he landed after the final blow.

The glowing cat had re-appeared, brushing against his leg. Jiyan spared a quick touch on its head before remembering it was the Ivory Gatekeeper.

“Rover,” he said to it urgently. He stood and moved towards Scar, who was still knelt beside her.

“Not one more step, General,” Scar hissed.

Jiyan froze in his tracks. “What?”

“I thought the great General of the Midnight Rangers could protect someone.”

Fear froze his blood. “Is she…?”

“Alive? Barely. Your stupid Gulpuff would do absolutely nothing if she needed to fight again.” Scar picked her up in his arms.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Don’t I dare what? Save her life?” He scoffed. “You failed General. If she dies here, now, what becomes of Huanglong?”

“And you can save her?”

“Let’s just say I have powerful friends.”

Jiyan felt the cat at his heels, a gentle caution not to be rash.

“I’m coming too then.”

“Oh no. I do not have the patience to resist killing you. Besides my energy needs to be focused elsewhere.”

“Scar.” A tinge of desperation crept into his voice.

“Go be a hero, General. Defeat these challenges and come back for us.” There was derision there, but Jiyan couldn’t help but hear a shred of honesty.

It gave him enough pause that when he refocused, a doorway had reappeared, quite unlike the Fractsidus’ Elysium access. It was the challenge gate. He took an inadvertent step forward. His resonance skill could narrow the gap, he knew. He should go, he wanted to go… But what gave Rover the best chance?

Scar was already halfway through the gateway.

Powerful friends.

In the end, Jiyan let them go. It was the best choice for Rover. He had to ignore the sensation in his chest and that memory that they had an unfinished conversation.

The doorway opened into the realm’s imitation of an empty warehouse, complete with dim lighting.

“The Astral Modulator, as promised,” said a voice before them.

Scar broke his gaze from Rover’s unconscious form and turned to face the Ebony Gatekeeper.

“If she died…” Scar snarled.

“But she wouldn’t though. Not really. You knew this. Now… onto the matter of your assistance.”

“Out of the question. Rover is… indisposed.”

The Gatekeeper tutted. “I’m beginning to think you were trying to delay me.”

“Think what you will. I did not lie. I needed her.”

“Hmm. Perhaps you need more time to think about it, yes?” He snapped his fingers and Scar found himself and Rover surrounded by metal bars. “You understand why I do not trust you, of course.”

He stepped away, but not before tossing something into the cage- an orb, emitting a soft green light.

“For the Lady and her injuries.”

Scar held it up. “I’m sure she will be grateful,” he scoffed.

The Gatekeeper let out a short mirthless sound. “I’m sure she would. I’ll be back later.” He raised his hand and stepped through a doorway, disappearing without another word.

Scar gently placed Rover’s head onto the ground and activated the healing mechanism. Stepping away, he gripped the bars of the cage, feeling his nails extend into talons, muscles strengthening, as he initiated his TD change.

Absolutely not.

He scratched at the bars; he screamed into the empty room. This was not what was promised. And this was definitely not the plan.

“I did not swap one prison for another.”

Chapter Text

Eventually Scar found himself on the floor. He sat, back against the bars and knees drawn to his chest. His eyes shifted between the girl and the place where the Ebony Gatekeeper had disappeared.

He casted a watchful eye over Rover as she slept. Most of her wounds had already healed and colour restored to her cheeks, but the strength for the actual recovery needed to come from her. Nevertheless, her presence was welcome despite being a complication.

He thought back to the fall. He remembered Rover’s face. She had rushed to the edge in a desperate attempt to save him. Like him, using the Havoc attribute in this realm took a toll, but she had tried, even if she did not realise it.

And so he had fallen, straight into his Elysium which somehow portalled him to another room in this dream realm. A doorway within a doorway, he now knew. The thought hadn’t crossed him at the time. It was then that he met the Ebony Gatekeeper. 

He healed him, much like he had done for Rover and then they talked. On the surface, the Keeper was sensible and meticulous; Scar was initially impressed. It did however directly contradict what the Fractsidus wanted to do. The New World meant evolution, not returning to the past.

He refused the offer on the pretext that he had nothing to gain. It was just a poor fit. But the Gatekeeper would have none of it. He promised to get him to use his powers one way or another. Scar could see he wielded power in the realm; He was under no pretences that it was an idle threat.

There was another path to freedom, Scar knew. If he let himself be captured by Rover and the General- they’d come for him after all- he might be able to escape back into the real world.

A deal was struck: he needed Rover to ensure success of the Ebony Gatekeeper’s plan. While the Gatekeeper could not directly intervene in the challenges, he could send Scar.

And he did. What Scar did not expect was the carnage. Rover’s only chance at survival was returning to the Gatekeeper.

“You understand why I do not trust you, of course.”

The Ebony Gatekeeper knew him, it seemed, and more importantly, he predicted the hoax.

Scar took a deep breath, looking over Rover once more. He had to believe that she would be able to get them out of here.

Scar was dozing when he heard Rover rouse- a small groan, barely perceptible, as her mind caught up to her physical injuries. He kept his eyes just open to monitor. She brought her hands to her face as her eyesight adjusted. He saw the moment she recognised that she was caged, bolting upright to look around. He could feel her surprise when she saw him in the corner.

She was struggling to her feet when he spoke up.

“Careful. You’ve only just knitted yourself back together.”

“What do you care?” Her voice was slightly hoarse.

“Considering I’m the one who saved you, a fair amount I think.”

“We’re in a cage,” she stated, ignoring his last comment. “Is this part of your plan too?”

“An oversight.” He closed his eyes for a second, before getting to his feet to move closer towards her. Rover was now sat upright, legs curled beneath her.

“Where’s Jiyan?”

He froze, remembering those longing looks across the battlefield. “Gone.” He couldn’t keep the strain out of his voice entirely.

“He wouldn’t leave me.” Conviction laced her tone.

“I did not give him a choice.”

Her eyes narrowed towards him before widening again. “Is he okay?”

“Alive, you’d be pleased to know,” he emptied his voice of all emotion. Relief did cross her face, and he had to curl his nails into his palm to keep himself grounded.

She looked around, gesturing vaguely to their environment. “So tell me why we’re here.”

He paused, weighing each word “I… disagreed with that Gatekeeper on his idea of the New World. As you know, I prefer my own plans.”

She rolled her eyes. “But I’m here,” she emphasised. “Why?”

He did not feel guilty about his choice, but he did feel reticent to reveal his original plan. Or more specifically, its failure.

“I… may have bargained to help him if he found you. In my defence,” he said raising a hand as Rover opened her mouth to interrupt, “I did not expect to find you at death’s door. I expected you and the General to do those… heroics… you are so fond of.”

Rover regarded him. “I see,” was all she said. And then, “Thank you,” she added softly.

“What was that?” he couldn’t keep the smirk off his face.

She narrowed her eyes again. “Thank you for choosing to save me.”

“It was not much of a choice,” he said with a shrug. “The other option besides this was leaving you to die and clearing the Somnoire with your lover. I preferred the cage.” He enjoyed the astonishment that washed across her features. “Anyways, now we need to get out of here,” he continued.

Rover snapped her gaze off Scar. How did he introduce himself when they first met? “The cruel and twisted maniac.” She saw none of that now. Then again, he had proven multiple times to be capable of being a good conversationalist and debater, provided she did not disagree with him

She looked around at their enclosure. “What have you tried?”

He pointed at the dried blood in the corner where he tried to break the cage with his TD strength. She stood, walking towards the bars, wrapping her hands around them. He was mindful that at no point was her back completely turned towards him.

“What about the Havoc thing?” she asked.

“It would take too much energy, and then we would have both been unconscious,” he replied, casually committing her to memory- this version of Rover who was working with him.

She returned to her original position. “I don’t think I can do that right now.”

“I didn’t anticipate that you would. We can try later.”

“We?”

“Two Resonators are better than one.” He smiled deviously at her. “So how do want to kill the time?”

She looked like she had a waiting retort but thought better of it. “Tell me… about that truth you keep taunting me with.”

“I imagined we’d have that conversation under very different circumstances,” he mused aloud. He met her golden eyes. She couldn’t hide the genuine curiosity nor the vigilance. He supposed he couldn’t blame her- not when she remembered nothing, and he knew too much.

Scar sighed. “Alright. But listen closely, because I’m not likely to repeat myself.”

Rover flashed him a rare smile and he hated how it made him feel. These courtesies. He took a breath.

“A lesser-known secret was that I grew up on The Black Shores. Oh yes, those Black Shores,” the edge of his mouth curled into a smirk. “I heard you met Aalto. And Camellya. So much promise, that one.” He murmured absentmindedly.

“Anyways, there you grow up with these stories of the Astral Modulator, the Guide of Civilisations,” he raised both hands for the theatrics, “Who appears in Solaris-3 during times of crisis, and to solve the mystery that is the Lament. They’d ask for nothing apart from lodging and then one day, they just… disappeared.”

Rover said nothing, so he continued, the words coming easier as his tone soured.

“I left quite young, as most of the Black Shores children do, to see the world that we are meant to revive one day. But humans… they can be as horrible as the Tacet Discords.” He chuckled. “Self-serving. Scared. And they’d seek to destroy anything that threatens the world they know. Even children.”

He could see the cogwheels turning in Rover’s head. The story of the girl in Qichi Village…The Black Sheep…

“It was an awakening,” he said scornfully. “The world was… is… in chaos. The universe thrives in it. And the New World that my people seemed so keen to promote, is not going to come through peace and eventual reconciliation. The higher-ups would understand that if they ever left the island.” A mirthless laugh. “And those that do leave? Just a flock of white sheep.”

Slow realisation was dawning in Rover’s eyebrows, but she held her silence.

“The Astral Modulator left the Black Shores and never came back. I think they realised what I did- that the world wasn’t going to be fixed from within the glass house. That sometimes a fire is what is needed to revive the forest.”

“That’s a lot of supposition,” Rover said at last. He was grateful for the interruption; he had begun to think he lost her in the history. “And you’re saying this is… me?”

“You fit all the criteria.”

A pause. “This is… This is a lot. So why would I want to lose my memory of all this?”

Scar shrugged. “I have only theories. Perhaps you wanted a fresh start? Perhaps…” He broke off momentarily before continuing.

“Your tales are wrought with loss- no matter the sacrifice you make for these people, you are fated to never quite be part of the world that you try so desperately to save. Perhaps that’s why you chose the amnesia- to delay the inevitable, to forget the pain from when you have to leave.”

“I…”

“Your…entanglement… with the General, well.” His eyes sparkled with annoyance. “I said it once about that girl you brought to Qichi Village- a distraction, nothing else. Yours is a very… lonely existence. Besides, will you choose him over everything else?” He saw the hesitation in her eyes and in that opening he pushed on. “He can’t help you like I can. He may have the backing of the Midnight Rangers but he bound by state laws. I have the knowledge of the Black Shores, the strength of the Fractsidus.”

Countless thoughts streamed through her head. Was Scar her best point of call for information about the Black Shores? Surely he was not still part of the secret organisation, not in light of his current role as a Fractsidus Overseer.

“You and your recruitment techniques….” She whispered, but there was no distaste in her features.

“I’m not recruiting for the Fractsidus right now, Rover. Deep down you do need me and if you’d let me…” He had involuntarily moved closer; Rover had not budged.

“I don’t agree with your merging of humans and TDs,” she stated, finality in her tone.

He sighed. “But the symbiosis already exists- Lampylumen Myriad providing valuable resources within the mine. The Impermanence Heron- a failsafe if the northern borders are compromised. Every Calamity Class strengthens a specific Attribute. All the Fractsidus propose is modifying that process slightly. No one is forced, contrary to your belief. It wouldn’t work otherwise. You see it as an abomination, but then what am I? What are you? Housing two Attributes? Absorbing echoes directly into your body? You have been the inspiration behind a lot of my work.”

He was looking at her now like a man possessed.

Rover bit her lip, the significance of his words dawning slowly. How long had she walked on this planet? If Scar was correct, then… as old at the founding of the city? The world? And Jiyan…

“There’s no saying when your last visit was,” he pressed on, as though oblivious to the thoughts swirling in her mind. “There were the big things- The Sea of Flames fiasco, the sugar pearl crisis. But there have been rumours…” his voice dropped conspiratorially, “That you have been here for smaller things. But as to what you’ve been up to…”

“Scar stop. I don’t need to hear this.”

“But you’ve been searching for the truth, haven’t you? I promised you information, and I have delivered. But there’s one more thing… as to why I have taken a particular interest in your successes.”

“What?”

“It’s less of the truth and more of my truth…” he began uncharacteristically bashful. He met her eyes and though trying to determine whether she could bear his next words.

“I have fallen in love with every version of you scattered across time,”

She met his eyes, feeling her heartrate increase exponentially. It was not that he’d ever kept these sentiments a secret, but she always thought they were idle goading.

His mismatched eyes glistened with a mixture of annoyance and temptation. “How did you know when to arrive? When to intervene and when to back off? A true hero isn’t the saviour. It’s someone who can make the hard decision for the best outcome.”

She felt the words wash over her. Was that really who she was?

“You’re in love with a fairy tale. Not me.”

She closed her eyes, mind reeling. Her thoughts flashed to Jiyan: His smile that time she awoke in his arms, the feeling of fighting beside him on the battlefield, arriving in Port Gunchao to find him there. What if she chose anonymity because she was tired of being the hero?

You’ve chosen a very… lonely existence.

Somehow, she was unsurprised by this.

It was like he read her mind because he turned away, fists clenched. The conversation was over, she knew, and maybe if she were lucky, there wouldn’t be hell to pay later.

Scar crossed the cage to the area where she had awakened to find him.

“Maybe you’re not that person right now but you will be. And I’ll be waiting,” he said softly.

Chapter Text

Jiyan felt the weight of the exhaustion fully collapse on him once Rover had disappeared though the doorway. He drove his lance into the ground, using it as a support as he stared blankly to where the doorway once stood.

He knew her resistances would have been reduced against the Crownless, but he underestimated the damage she would take when the attacks inevitably landed. His fault. He should have factored that in.

His intuition said that Rover would be safe with Scar but the why and how he managed to enter the arena eluded him.  But there was something else:

Defeat these challenges and come back for us.

Jiyan hadn’t given much thought about the challenges, but they were relentless. He and Rover had made no plan to search for Scar; they simply banked on the fact that he would appear eventually. But this was the Realm of Dreams, as vast as one would expect of human consciousness. How did one find anyone?

“Gatekeeper,” he called, looking at the cat which circled his feet.

The cat paused and peered up at him, blinking slowly as though to ask. “You’re talking to me?”

“I wish to speak with you.”

There was a flash of white light and Jiyan was forced to close his eyes. A moment later, the Ivory Gatekeeper stood before him.

“General.”

“Where is she?”

“Safe.”

“That is not an answer.”

“It seems… your Fusion resonator has struck a deal with the Ebony Gatekeeper.”

Jiyan narrowed his eyes at the unfathomable mask. “Shouldn’t you be worried about that?”

“There is nothing you nor I can do,” he said with a shrug. “Survive the challenges and return with help. I cannot get involved, not right now.”

Jiyan’s grip on his lance tightened. “There are rewards, aren’t there? Rover mentioned… I don’t care for the shell credits or Astrite. You will take me to her. That’s my early prize for surviving this hellscape.”

There was hesitation in Gatekeeper’s posture now.

“All I’m asking is for you to take me to them. That’s it,” Jiyan clarified

“What about your escape?”

Jiyan looked around, clocking the appearance of two portals waiting to whisk him to the next challenge.

“It’s automated, isn’t it? The appearance of the gateways after the challenges?”

The Gatekeeper nodded slowly.

“Then… create a gateway after the next challenge. We’ll fight the final one together and leave.”

The Ivory Gatekeeper deliberated. “He can’t know, so you’d have to be quick,” he half-sighed at last. “When the portals open, you have to get through as soon as possible before the Ebony Gatekeeper realises you’ve strayed off the path.”

Jiyan was standing at full height now, lance now dissipated. “Noted.”

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a violin. His head jerked in the direction of the sound.

Near the area where his companion once lay, there was now a human-like shape. It seemed to be composed of pure light but it moved much like a person would. Jiyan moved closer, the Gatekeeper trailing him slowly.

“Yes, yes. What do you want? I have to get back to my work.”

That curt voice. That borderline arrogant tone.

“Mortefi? How are you here?” Jiyan asked, approaching the shape. But the shape gave no indication that he had heard him, continuing to address someone that Jiyan could not see.

Now that Jiyan recognised the voice, he could see his colleague in the mannerisms of the light form. The hand on his hip, head cocked to the side as though regarding someone.

“Are these sweets, Xiangli? Why…? I know I’m working late.” A scoff.  

Xiangli Yao? Jiyan had never met him personally, but his ingenuity was renowned.

“You’re finished, aren’t you? Here to scope out the competition? Oh sorry, you’re here to remind me this is what friends do.” A pause, likely as Yao replied.  

“You need my help?”  

Jiyan smiled to himself. Mortefi made a show of being self-reliant- a lone wolf-  and in a way he was, but he loved to be needed. It seemed Yao did know him well enough- the sweets, the direct request. It was nice to know that he had colleagues who ignored his prickly personality to reach out.

But was this a memory? A dream? Jiyan was hesitant to move closer.

“It’s a memory,” the Gatekeeper replied as though hearing his unspoken question.

“And they just… appear?”

The Gatekeeper nodded once. “Normally they tend to be from resonators that you know.”

“But Scar has never met me.”

Jiyan felt the smirk even if he did not see it. “That’s because he tapped into Rover’s memories. They share an interesting bond- whether that was Scar’s Forte at work or something else, I cannot say.”

Jiyan stomped the new feeling that coiled across his chest. He approached Mortefi. “Why haven’t we seen them before?”

“Normally in these challenges, you can use the Resonance Liberation of any resonator whose memory you come across,” the cat’s voice said in his mind. “But your presence here with Rover is unprecedented. This feature of the Somnoire was not operational while you were together.”

“So that means now I have a second Resonance Liberation…?”

“If you accept it.”

An Aero resonator with a Gulpuff as their primary echo and wielding a Fusion attack? This seemed like something his brain would conjure after a particular gruelling night shift.

“How do I get the energy for it?”

“It uses your Aero attacks, just builds up slower than your Emerald Storm.”

“I see… Then yes, I accept.”

The Gatekeeper nodded once and Jiyan felt short sharp pain on his Tacet Mark- like the roar of flames when they came into contact with fuel. The burning sensation faded in seconds.

“A warning would have been welcome.”

“My apologies if I prioritised efficiency over idle courtesies. I was under the impression that you wanted to get to Lady Arbiter as soon as possible.”

“Rover. And yes.” He rubbed his Tacet Mark as though it were a tense muscle before setting off through the door.

CHALLENGE SEVEN

It appeared that the Port City of Guixu was a favourite of the Somnoire. However, while the previous challenges seem to be based in the Sea of Flames, he found himself on the northern outskirts of the old technological hub.

The area here was marked with large pylons, standing like sentries amidst the desolation and overturned cars. A small river ran through, but this now overflowed its banks.

He heard the chatter of TDs to his right and made his way in that direction. The soft splashes echoed but Jiyan did not care for the element of surprise. The faster he cleared the challenge, the faster he could find Rover.

He found them on a small embankment- Tick Tacks, Zig Zags and Cruisewings. Standard Class TDs, he counted ten in total. Apart from the mobility of the Cruisewings, Jiyan had no concerns about facing them. He likely didn’t even need his Resonance Liberation.

He strode forward, hearing the alarmed tone of the creatures as they noticed his presence. The Tick Tacks charged first while the others launched their projectiles. He parried easily with his lance, dashing forward to strike his oncoming enemies. The winds sent them airborne, and his resonance skill promptly caused them to erupt in gold dust.

He targeted the Zig Zags next, grounded that they were. He blocked their attacks and responded with forward thrusts in quick succession. They too disappeared.

The Cruisewings continued to hover and shot their concentrated energy attacks. He dodged, launching into the air for a heavy attack. They were struck to the ground, as he promptly followed up with a basic lunge with his lance. The elasticity of the lance caused it to snap back at the TDs before dematerialising, just as Jiyan spun with his sword in his other hand.

Gold dust rained upon him.

He stood upright, now looking for the appearance of the doorways. Nothing appeared. Though…

He heard a shrill caw in the distance and the distinct sound of heavy wings coming closer. A large three-headed bird broke through the cloud cover above and landed on the earth before him.

The Impermanence Heron. 

In the army, they used it as an induction exercise for the resonator faction. Jiyan’s Forte awoke while he was enlisted; it was never something he was asked to do. But he’d gone to support his colleagues through it… and escort them back to the medic tent.

The Heron spread its razor-edge wings, releasing a shriek reverberated across the area. It strode towards him, each footstep shaking the ground below his feet.

The difficulty with being a broadblade resonator in these fights was that he needed to close the gap between himself and the Heron. There would be no other way to charge his resonance energy and only his resonance liberation would bring it down quickly. At the very least, the bird fought predictably, though any missed dodge could be catastrophic.

It was closer now, its six beady eyes trained on him, as it raised its wing and swiped to swipe at him.

Jiyan moved in an easy side-step before launching into the air to bring his lance down in a heavy attack.

The Heron reared back, now temporarily airborne before charging at him again. Again he dodged, releasing an immediate counter-attack in a bid to knock it off its feet.

Again, it was just out of reach, flying backwards so Jiyan had no choice but to step towards it. A miscalculation. Its beaks opened, creating a suction vortex that pulled him closer towards the Heron. He drove his lance into the ground but could only watch helplessly at the trench that was created.

He looked upwards, now directly below the bird, as it drove its middle beak down. He side stepped. The left beak came down- and he rolled to the right. But the Heron seemed to predict the movement, as its right beak descended in a vicious peck. A gash appeared on his non-dominant arm.

Grimacing, he watched as the bird launched upwards again, swiftly diving again to finish the job.

Jiyan used his lance as a pivot, just edging out of range. The Heron landed again, regarding him curiously as it stalked closer.

The only way he won, he knew, was if he went full offence.

He charged with his resonance skill, the bird again attempted to draw back. But Jiyan would have none of it. He launched airborne, feeling the satisfaction as his resonance energy peaked – the turbulence of the Aero and destruction of the Fusion integrating with each other. The power spike was nothing he had experienced before. He cast Violent Finale- balls of raw Fusion energy targeted the Heron- and then he released the Qingloong.

The Impermanence Heron was now caught its winds, unable to move. It seemed his earlier attack had tired it because it made no effort to attempt it again. Jiyan took the moment to release his Gulpuff, feeling the pang of the memory from when he’d last used it.

With the pain now minimised from his arm wound, he drew his sword, entering the winds and stabbing upwards into the abdomen of the bird.

It disappeared into the cloud of gold.

He did not take a breath, looking around till he saw the white cat. Two doors appeared just behind its seated form.

Its eyes narrowed at him. Move. It seemed to say.

Jiyan wasted no time. “But the third…?” he shouted, running closer.

The feline gatekeeper stood, stepping to the side in response to the general. Swirls of purple and red appeared in a trapdoor where it just been seated.

Do you even trust him? His subconscious unhelpfully decided to remind him in that moment.

No, not really. But… I have no choice. Why was this a recurring theme?

“Thank you,” he said to the Ivory Gatekeeper before jumping in.

“Scar,” Rover said, walking towards him. “Come on.”

He met her gaze with his mismatched eyes. She didn’t see anger or frustration… but the resignation felt more concerning.

He said nothing as she sat knelt beside him. “Look, I’m sor…”

He raised a hand, effectively eradicating her train of thought. “What, pray tell, are you apologising for?”

“For not…” She did not know know how to complete the thought “… being that person.”

“I really do hate the courtesies.” His words were tinged with annoyance. “It occurs to me that it probably was the point. Your point… when deciding to erase your memories. But you’re like a newborn,” he spat. “Your decisions are influenced by these people who don’t know you.”

“And you do?”

“After everything I said?” He looked affronted.

Rover couldn’t meet his eyes, but she could feel his scrutinising gaze. After what seemed an eternity, he sighed. “All right, all right. I’ll lay off you for a while. We have more pressing matters.”

He stood, dusting his hand on his trousers before extending it to Rover. “Shall we?”

She didn’t think that time, taking Scar’s hand to return to a standing position. Once on her feet, he didn’t release her immediately, choosing to lead her to the spot where he could point out the location from where the Ebony Gatekeeper had opened his portal.

“I don’t think…” he began before Rover cleared her throat, lifting their joined hands. “Ah yes. Sorry. It’s my first non-violent human contact in a while.” He released her with a chuckle.

“But yes,” he continued, as though that moment did not happen, “I don’t think portals can open anywhere. And I think only at the behest of the Gatekeeper.”

“Gatekeepers,” she corrected, “What makes you say that?”

“Now there are more of them,” he said with a roll of his eyes before continuing. “Normally… I must know where my portal is opening. I’ve never been here before and yet, my portals have continued to function. Taking me where …” He paused. “Taking me to you.”

“So what you’re saying is… there’s no guarantee you can get us out of here.”

He looked at her, raising one eyebrow. “But that’s where you come in.”

“I’ve never opened a portal in my life.”

“Honestly,” he half-sighed, with a palm on his face, “I’m very aware of the current limits of your power. But you… The Gatekeeper knows you. Distract him long enough. Talk about… your General. If we get to him before he clears his final challenge, we can be free of this realm.”

“I suppose we need to get out of this first,” Rover said, gesturing to the cage.

‘It’ll be fastest way to get him to return.”

“Did you plan this while I was asleep?” she asked, unable to keep the suspicion out of her tone.

“What can I say? One does not become a Fractsidus Overseer without being able to think themselves out of a pinch. Something for you to learn, dear Rover. Always have at least two escape plans.”

“Duly noted.”

She walked to the bars. If Scar’s TD form was unable to break them, she had little chance. She gripped them with both hands, closing her eyes. Energy surged, her Tacet mark sparking to life.

She couldn’t break them; they were made from energy from the Somnoire. But she could try to modify them… move them, much like she did with her restraints in the Sea of Flames.

“Hold on.” Scar came up from behind her grabbing her forearm just above her Tacet Mark. “You’ll drain your energy if you’re not careful,” he whispered.

His tenderness caught her off-guard, but it gave way to panic as his hand began to transform to claws. Her energy flow stuttered to a halt.

“Focus Rover. I’m not hurting you. I just need to access my Havoc attribute more easily.”

She did try, but she fought against Scar’s TD form one too many times not to be wary.

He pressed his mouth to the side of her head. “Do you really think I’d kill you when I need you?”

All that occurred to her was that she would need to re-evaluate their tentative truce when they were free. But it was distracting; He was far too close, much like that time in the dream, but now, all her senses were awakened.

Scar smelled like a forest fire. He stood uncharacteristically calm beside her, talons grazing her skin. He brought her Tacet Mark to his and she felt the spark.

With Jiyan, she had safety. There was trust but an ongoing hesitation because of their professional relationship. Scar- she often wondered whether her mind confused the source of an adrenaline rush. She was terrified of everything he could do but… there was the curiosity as well. Scar was more than what he let on.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes again, feeling Scar’s grip on hers tighten slightly as their shared power bloomed. It was intoxicating- this power.

There was no auditory indication that they had been successful but when Rover opened her eyes, she saw the bars bent out of shape- enough space for both she and Scar to squeeze through. Scar kept his hold on her as he dropped her hand from his neck.

“We did it!” she exclaimed, automatically reaching for Scar’s forearm with her free hand in her enthusiasm.

His gaze snapped to hers and she could see her reflection in his darkened pupils. “Are you… okay?”

“I will be." He extricated his hand slowly, careful not to scratch her.

She nodded in acknowledgement, before proceeding to leave their enclosure. Scar followed quickly after. She could see the way tension left his shoulders as he left the enclosure. The difference was jarring. Someone like Scar could not be incarcerated without risk to his mental health.

She did not have much time to ponder that train of thought- The Fractsidus leader was not wrong. Moments later, a gateway suddenly appeared, and the Ebony Gatekeeper stepped through.

Chapter Text

“It was only a matter of time,” the Ebony Gatekeeper said with a sigh. “Scar, we had a deal.”

“Gatekeeper,” Rover interjected. She wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong with Scar but he did not seem like himself. Perhaps the combined use of their Forte was too much. The guardian of the Somnoire turned to face her and she pressed, “What are you doing?”

“Rover, my apologies. Trust me, I never had any intention of harming you. But I needed something done.” He gestured to the room around and Rover could only marvel as the walls came down. They were now in an open field blooming with Pecock flowers. The plenilune was just visible on the horizon.

“A gesture of my goodwill,” the Gatekeeper said, “But I do need the Overseer.”

“I can’t allow you to do that.” She felt Scar jerk behind her. She was not following the plan. The plan was to feign oversentimentality. But while she wished Jiyan was there, the Gatekeeper had to know… his plan was folly.

“And why is that?” His voice had taken on a dangerous edge.

“How can you be fine with the nightmares that you’re about to release into reality?”

He chuckled. “That’s very myopic of you. The past you would understand. How are the dangers here any worse than what already exists out there? At the very least, you have the chance to get things back to the way they were.”

That annoyed her. There was always this elusive answer- why did she want her past self to remain a stranger?

“Maybe I wanted something new.”

He moved both his hands in a welcoming gesture, despite its implication being the furthest thing away from it. “Well, the only way to stop me now is to get him out of the Somnoire. And without me, you have no chance.”

“You can’t kill her,” Scar snarled, stepping forward. He seemed to be back to his normal haughtiness. “And trust me when I say I am not following the likes of you.”

“I’m not saying you can’t leave… just not yet. I’m giving you what you want Scar.”

“And what do you know of what I want? Chaos?” He scoffed. “Means to an end. And I prefer my own brand of anarchy.”

The Gatekeeper strode closer towards them, though retained a respectable distance. He plucked a Pecock flower and disintegrated it into a fine silvery-blue dust- the colour of Astrite.

“You’ve been harnessing your Elysium in lesser degrees since being here. Do you think I wouldn’t have indulged my own brand of anarchy?” He chuckled. “Nothing crazy- but enough to know my plan will work.”

“What plan?” Rover couldn’t resist asking, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.

“Using his Elysium as temporary storage. Oh,” he paused, noting her surprise, “Did you think I would hide it? There’s no reason to. The Somnoire will destabilise if opened directly into reality… like a vessel underwater. So the Elysium realm is a good middle ground.” His voice softened. “We could always do with more storage.”

Rover blanched. Provided they did get Scar out, what did that mean the next time he used his Elysium in reality?

“So what’s it going to be? All I need to do is force you to use your Elysium here Scar. I wanted us to work together but alas. Regardless, it’s easy enough- I have countless TDs at my disposal… even a Lightcrusher?” Rover saw Scar jolt. “Pretty sure one of those scars is from one of those fine beasts.”

He turned to Rover. “Scar is right, I cannot kill you Rover but I can summon another Havoc TD again to…” He paused- a silence that drew taut.

“The Heron,” she heard him whisper under his breath.

Heron? She felt her heart rate pick up, her chest suddenly tight.

The field was quiet, her own breathing was the only sound in her ears. In the uppermost field of her vision, she saw a door materialise followed by a flash of teal. A gust swept the field, and she knew.

Without seeing his face.

Without hearing his voice or seeing the Qingloong.

She would have known even she didn’t hear Scar’s exasperated sigh.

Jiyan landed easily, driving his lance into the ground. His eyes met hers instantly across the field.

Rover knew she was smiling. She had no idea how he found them in the Somnoire but she did not care. All she felt, as she saw reflected on Jiyan’s face, was relief.

CHALLENGE EIGHT

“Having your full team here changes little,” The Ebony Gatekeeper said. “The plan is already in motion.”

“Is it?” Rover asked, drawing her sword. She heard Scar make a soft sound behind her. “Some Dream remnants in Scar’s Elysium can easily be dealt with when we get out.”

“If he remembers,” The Gatekeeper said with a tilt of his head. “Not everyone is afforded the same luxury as you to remember their travels through the Somnoire.”

“I’m sorry?” She couldn’t keep her eyes from flashing to Jiyan. He… wouldn’t remember? Jiyan had somehow managed to move closer to the duo during the short interaction. She could see the gash on his arm. If it were from the Impermanence Heron…

The Gatekeeper said nothing more, choosing to cast his eyes to the left. A doorway appeared, a roar echoing from its depths. A four-legged feline bounded through, its heavy steps causing the ground to tremble beneath their feet.

“Rover…” Scar’s voice was as breathless as the wind behind her. “That’s a Lightcrusher.”

She had never seen one before. Clearly, the TD was not native to Jinzhou.

The Lightcrusher towered over them. To call it a large cat would be an understatement. Its legs and crown of its head were armoured, forelimbs aglow with golden Spectro energy, The tail was a muscle in its own right, ending with a large of fur capable of knocking any opponent back several metres.

The TD wasted no time, launching airborne toward the trio. They scattered, dropping low to keep their balance. Rover could see Scar and Jiyan on either of her peripheries. The Teal General materialised his lance. She could see him regarding the creature with keen interest, but not entirely surprised. Perhaps he had seen one before. Scar, on the other, had drawn his cards. It was the first time she had seen him this focused in battle.

Scar and Jiyan met each other’s gaze across the TD, and Rover did not miss the subtle nod- their first interaction since Scar’s attempted homicide- before they attempted their coordinated attack.

She moved to join them. “Rover, The Gatekeeper!” she heard one of them say, giving her enough to pause to realise that the Gatekeeper had used the distraction to put as much distance between them as possible. He would want to stay, she thought. The success of his plans depended on the outcome of this final challenge.

She scanned the surroundings to find no sign of him. She weighed her options. Scar and Jiyan were accomplished duellers, with enough experience between them to defeat the strange beast. They didn’t need her there, or perhaps they did? She spared a glance toward them. The TD was standing on a platform of light, using orbs of pure energy to target them. They dodged easily, and she was surprised to see Scar leap higher than the feline, to bring his leg down on the TD. The platform now destroyed, it fell to the ground where Jiyan was waiting to drive his lance forward.

It was under control… but how strange to see them working together.

“He’s gone,” a voice said to her.

She looked down to see the Ivory Gatekeeper in his feline form. “You! What? Why?”

“He knows when to cut his losses. Always one for bravado though,” the cat said with a shake of its head, “But I don’t think he’s giving up. In his mind there is nothing wrong with the Somnoire merging with the world. This realm is not without its problems- he believes it might solve many issues at the same time.”

Rover folded her arms. “You seem to know a lot about him.”

“We’ve existed with each other for millennia, two balancing forces. I don’t agree with what he does, but I do understand.”

To Rover’s ears, it sounded like a lover’s quarrel but she said nothing more on the topic. “Does that mean Scar is free to leave?”

“He was always free to leave, provided he could secure a way out. His particular entrance method complicated things. Though, be warned, his Elysium is already tainted.”

“What does that mean… Exactly?”

“Dream Remnants are being stored there. When the Elysium is next opened in reality, they could be released.”

“And these are… dangerous?”

“There’s a risk of increased TD activity, nothing a resonator can’t handle. Dreams sometimes make it out but their energy doesn’t last in the real world without a direct connection to the Somnoire.” He gave a short chuckle at Rover’s expression. “I know how the Ebony Gatekeeper would have framed it.  All to scare you into joining him. He desperately wanted Scar to open it back to reality from here.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us this from the start?” Rover said exasperatedly.

The cat looked at her. “You were on the best course of action. And besides, I cannot tell you everything.”

Rover sighed. “But surely Scar has tried… to open Elysium.”

“Unsuccessfully. His portals were illusions of the doorways we use. Of course, his trials were enough for the Ebony Gatekeeper to realise that dreams could be stored there. They needed to work together, my colleague could not hijack Scar’s Elysium unless, of course, he opened it first.”

Rover spared a glance backwards at Jiyan and Scar in the distance. The Lightcrusher seemed to be a more resilient enemy than any they previously faced. Scar was on his knees, Jiyan standing between him and the TD. The Fractsicus Overseer seemed to be in pain… or was he laughing? She could never tell, even up close.

She heard the inhuman roar across the field.

Oh. He was transforming. How bad was it?

She turned back to the cat urgently, desperate to join them as soon as possible, but needing all the information she could garner. “The Ebony Gatekeeper said something about Scar not remembering. What did he mean?”

“Well, Scar slipped into the Somnoire, similar to a dream. Although… in his case, it was both his body and mind. Theoretically it should not be possible but the Battle against the Ovathrax weakened many defences. Whether it was because he accessed his Elysium subconsciously, or his realm merged with ours…” he sighed in her mind. “Difficult to say. Anyways, when he is freed, it would be like waking up from a dream- vaguely aware of the events, but the memories will eventually fade with time.”

“And… Jiyan?” She wondered whether the cat would find amusement at her concern.

“He entered with your explicit permission. It would not be the same for him. But… he wouldn’t be able to find the Somnoire’s gateway on his own again.”

She released a breath she did not know she was holding. “Are you certain?”

“Human brains are strange, there’s no telling how he would perceive the realm, how he would remember it. But the memories here are very real to him.”

It was possible that he heard the unspoken question, but she was glad he said nothing more on the topic.

“What happens now?” she posed the question without a pause.

“Once you defeat the Lightcrusher, your challenge would be complete and then you can exit the Somnoire.”

“That’s it?” she deadpanned.

“I dare say it is the best outcome you could have hoped for,” the cat looked genuinely perplexed.

“No, just that…” she broke off. Endings were so… anticlimactic. Her mind flashed back to the victory over the Ovathrax and her walk back to the Ruins with Jiyan. They’d talked, she knew, but her mind was swirling with so many thoughts that the conversation had not remained particularly stark in her mind. Regardless, one minute they were fighting for their lives and the next it was over. Onto the next crisis.

But this wasn’t really an ending, was it? There was the unspoken promise that the Ebony Gatekeeper had not completely forfeited his plan. There was the uncertainty surrounding Scar and the logistics of getting him back to prison. There was this… thing… between her and Jiyan. If anything, this was a beginning.

“Never mind,” she said instead. “I need to go.”

“We’ll meet again soon, Rover.”

“I can’t say if that’s a promise or a warning,” she replied with a nervous laugh.

“Only time would tell,” he said cryptically, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

She turned to go and saw Scar’s TD form leap into the air. The move was easily dodged by the Lightcrusher who took the opportunity to pounce on Jiyan. The general stepped back, and Rover saw the figure of a red-haired scientist manifest beside him, flames now encircling the pair and empowering Jiyan’s Resonance Liberation.

When she turned back around, the Ivory Gatekeeper had returned to his human form. “Thank you,” she said to him, “For everything.”

“I think thanks are due in both directions,” he replied with a small nod. “All the best in your upcoming adventures.”

“There’s always going to be that mystery, isn’t there?” Rover thought with a sigh of resignation. She raised a hand and then left to rejoin her party.

***

She wasted no time on pleasantries, but did register the moment when both Jiyan and Scar noticed her return. The Lightcrusher growled deep in its throat, regarding her with suspicion. The sound was echoed to her right, and Rover found Calamity-Scar raising his scythe, all four eyes fixed on the TD.

It has been a while since she found against this… Aberrant Nightmare- a grim goat reaper that was Scar’s TD manifestation. She remembered the first time she saw the transformation. Not only was there the confusion trying to decipher whether Scar’s story hid a deeper meaning, but her mind was also battling the concern for Yangyang’s safety with the panic for her own life. And then Scar just… changed. The long-curved horns, the wild white hair with ends tinged in purple, the fact that he looked nothing like the man who had been speaking to her… apart from the Fractsidus red robes. It was jarring to say the least.

Compared to human-Scar, whose movements were quick and fluid, TD-Scar was slower but packed more power. He towered over the Lightcrusher, but Rover could see why he would struggle to catch this prey. The Lightcrusher did not remain grounded and was able to summon light energy to function as platforms to move quickly around the makeshift arena.

Jiyan moved closer to her, using the Lightcrusher’s hesitation at her arrival to bridge the distance between them.

There is no measure of time in the Somnoire, her brain reminded her but it felt as though an eternity had passed since their battle against the Crownless.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Did you find him?” He looked like he wanted to look her over but held back only out of sheer muscle memory from time on the frontlines.

“He got away, but I don’t think he’ll be a problem from here. We just need to defeat this… and we’re free.”

He didn’t reply immediately. He looked as though a thousand thoughts entered his brain simultaneously. “As planned then,” he said at last.

“As planned?” Rover repeated.

“Is now REALLY the time for sweet nothings?!” Scar roared.

He shook his head. “I’ll explain later.”

They turned their focus onto the Lightcrusher. “I thought you all had it,” she said, flexing her dominant arm with the sword.

Jiyan’s mouth was a thin line, as he tracked Scar. The latter was making a running start to lunge at the TD. “It can regenerate health. We’re doing a decent amount of damage, but not fast enough.”

“And Scar…?”

“He took a particular nasty swipe. He went down, and the next thing I knew he had transformed into that.”

Scar’s TD form was a trump card, Rover knew. He always reserved it as his final offence but once it was defeated…

“We need to act quickly then,” she agreed. Scar was already in the air, the Lightcrusher on its backleg preparing to snap at him. She and Jiyan moved in tandem. He was faster than she was, but it mattered little. Jiyan’s first strike diverted its focus allowing Scar to connect, his scythe swiping in a vicious arc to knock the Lightcrusher off its feet.

It was closer to Rover now, but it now staggered and fell to the ground. Her wing manifested as she released a burst of Havoc energy. The Dark Surge. Her attacks were now faster, empowered with the purple energy. Jiyan had returned to her side and joined her relentless assault, moving apart temporarily when Scar brought his weapon down onto the TD.

Her Tacet mark was thrumming. A brief glance at Scar and Jiyan also revealed glowing Tacet Marks.

“Resonance Liberation!” she shouted. She knew she didn’t need to explain further.

Scar went first- lifting the Lightcrusher with one clawed hand and slamming it into the ground repeatedly.

Jiyan followed up with his Qingloong, the teal dragon swirling expertly around them to target the Lightcrusher and not his comrades.

Rover went last- releasing her power as deadly feathers which hit their target.

The Lightcrusher was weak. She could see it was attempting to get back to its feet but its movements now slow. A few more…

And then she felt a spark of energy surge through her. They were all glowing with a strange white energy, as though the Ivory Gatekeeper himself had lent them some of his power. Or perhaps it was power native to the realm itself.

The Lightcrusher fell once more as the trio resumed their now empowered attacks. Seconds later, it erupted in a golden shower.

Rover fell to her knees as the energy leeched out of her. She could see Jiyan making his way towards her. And Scar. Scar was returning to his human size, evidence of his transformation now almost gone. He swayed on his feet, looking like she felt, but he managed to remain upright.

He didn’t come closer. He met Rover’s gaze and then eyed Jiyan’s moving form. It was a thank you, Rover knew. Scar was many things, but he wasn’t ungrateful.

However, when the gateway manifested, he was the first to walk through. Therein lay the limit of his generosity. At another time, Rover would have paused to collect the realm’s prizes- resources, echoes- but it probably was not a good idea to let Scar back into reality unsupervised. Jiyan needed no explanation; They wasted no time in following the Fractsidus Overseer out of the Somnoire.

Chapter Text

Rover was back at the base in the Desorock Highland. She could hear the rain outside, the soft pitter-patter confirming that it was falling per the laws of gravity. The base was uncharacteristically empty; it was rare that she heard the droning hum of the computers or her own footsteps on the floors.  

She couldn’t really be here. She had been in the Somnoire. Exiting should have brought them to the Waving Battlefield, not to the north. Maybe she was still trapped in the Dream Realm? Maybe this was Somnoire’s way of recalibrating before releasing them?

She ventured deeper into the base, seeing no one on the open floor. Finding a metallic spiral staircase, she braved the climb. In her time after battling the Ovathrax, she had stayed with the soldiers, However, rarely, if ever, did she come to the first floor of the base. She had been told they were mainly offices. Of course, one of these- she paused in front of a door with GENERAL OF THE MIDNIGHT RANGERS inscribed on its plaque- one of these would belong to someone she knew.

She knocked- once, twice. In reality, it would have been more than enough to get her to leave, but not here. Curiosity pulled the handle down and pushed the door open. She found herself in an office. Jiyan’s office , her brain helpfully reminded her, though the physiology behind how she could mentally create a place that she had never been to eluded her.

It looked like a place that belonged to him. The dark terrazzo floors, the walls lined with books,, his desk standing at the end of the room, backdropped by dark green curtains. She walked closer, only then seeing his accolades on a long table that was placed behind his main desk. Piles of folders and papers were neatly organised on his desk. She could picture him here- eyes narrowed as he read a circular, hand resting on his cheek… 

She ran a finger along the desk, jumping slightly when she heard the door creak behind her. She turned around, to find a certain Fractsidus Overseer in the doorway.

“You are predictable,” he said in a drawling voice. He was soaked, rivulets of water ran down his face, his white hair flattened. At least his clothes seemed to be waterproof- although it seemed that he was keen to test their limit.

“Are you alright?” she asked. She made no effort to move closer.

He shrugged. “Hard to say. The moment I stepped out of the Somnoire I found myself here. It’s been a while since I’ve come to the Highlands, I suppose we have the General to thank.”

Rover did not retort, looking around the room for any sign that Jiyan had been here. But the room was untouched.  

“Job is a bit grim, isn’t it?” Scar said. He had entered the room now, eyeing the dossiers with particular interest. Rover followed his movements as he walked behind the desk. It may not have been real, but this room was Jiyan’s after all., “All this paperwork and for what. It’s not much of a thing in the Fractsidus.”

“I wonder why,” Rover said, to find the sentiments echoed in a deep baritone. 

Both she and Scar turned at the same time, to find the Teal General entering the room.  

Both men eyed each other across the table and for the briefest moment, Rover wondered whether she should draw her sword.

But Jiyan sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I know you were saving your own skin in there, Scar. But I do need to thank you. There were a couple times…”

“A few times,” Scar corrected, eyes bright with something Rover couldn’t quite place. “Besides I could say the same.” He tucked his hands in his pockets, moving closer to the Jiyan.

“Consider us even,” the Overseer said, “The next time I might not be so forgiving.” He made no effort to extend his hand.

“You know that when we get out…” Rover began softly. It was something that they needed to address- Scar’s list of crimes were so long that the jury needed little convincing to get him into maximum security. He needed to return to prison but… it somehow felt unfair.

“Yes yes,” he said with a flick of his wet hair, turning to meet her gaze. He hated being imprisoned in the Somnoire but now? She couldn’t tell based on the lazy posture and nonchalant smile he currently wore.

“You don’t really think you’re the only person I contacted from the Somnoire, do you?” he said to her. She knew her expression changed because he looked genuinely amused. “Not to worry, love.  I don’t anticipate I’d be incarcerated for much longer.”

Rover flashed a look to Jiyan, who just shrugged. What did they expect?

She decided to change the topic. “So how do we get out of here? Why are we even here?”

Scar hummed in the back of his throat. “I can’t answer the second part, but the first?” He removed his hands from his pockets, to reveal a dagger. “Someone needs to wake up.”

Rover took a step forward. “Scar… what are you doing? How do you know that wouldn’t…?”  

He tutted. “Oh I don’t Rover. Balance of probabilities. Besides, you know I don’t like staying trapped for very long.”

He moved fast, faster than Rover’s eyes could track. Jiyan, to his credit, braced for the attack, shielding for an abdominal blow. But it was not Scar’s target. He aimed higher, driving the long blade into Jiyan’s left carotid.

The blood spurted as the general swayed on his feet, hand going to his neck in a futile attempt to minimise the blood loss. But he fell and all Rover could do was rush to his side and cradle his head from hitting the stone floor.

She searched his eyes, panic settling deep. Jiyan’s gaze was hazing, trying to fixate of hers.

“It’s… fine,” he had the audacity to whisper. He was not fine. It was a killing blow- if this was the real world… or the altered Somnoire from which they had come… he would be dead. But in this version? No echoes. No Terminal.

“It’s just a dream. Just a dream,” she repeated

But her own vision was becoming hazy at the edges, the images fading.

“This is what I consider a win-win,” she heard the self-satisfaction in Scar’s voice. She did not have the strength nor energy to look at him. “See you in the real world, Rover. At long last.”

Chapter Text

ROVER

The irony was that Rover did not awaken on her own. She felt someone shaking her arm and insistently repeating her name.

Groggily, she opened her eyes but was forced to shut them due to the midday sun. She managed a squint instead, seeing a familiar face above hers- black hair cascading to just tickle her cheek, blue hat perched on the person’s head.

“Yangyang,” she croaked. Her voice sounded unused.

“Rover! I was so worried!” She sounded as though she’d been on the verge of tears, and Rover scrambled to a seated position to prove that all was well but her head swam suddenly and she was forced to stay semi-upright, supported by her elbows.

“Are you… alright?” her friend asked. “What’s happened? When I saw…” She broke off suddenly. “I’m sorry. Too much, too quickly.”

Rover shook her head. “It’s fine, my head just hurts. I’m happy to see you.”

She received a small smile in response.

“Where is… everyone?” she probed. Her eyes had now adjusted, and she knew that there were in the valley containing the door to the Somnoire. And the door… She turned back to see it just behind her. She was pleased to see it was now shut, no ominous markings in sight. Ivy once again grew across it like road on a map.

“You all have been quite difficult to wake.” Soft accusation coloured her tone, and Rover did not have to wonder why. She had done what her friends always cautioned her against- gone off on her own.  “But they’re all alive. Scar…”

“How’s Jiyan?” She couldn’t help herself. Her mind flashed to back to his fallen form, weakening with every heartbeat.

There was a flash of surprise in Yangyang’s eyes and the twinkle of a knowing smirk. “The general is fine. He woke just before you. Do you want to see him?”

“I.. just needed to know.” Rover felt her cheeks flush. Of course Yangyang knew. They had not had time for the catch-up after the Riverside Games, but naturally Rover had confided certain thoughts with her, in anticipation of the event. “What about Scar?” she hurriedly asked, slightly desperate for the change in topic.

“He’s already on his way back to Jinzhou. We… didn’t want to take any chances with him getting away once he awoke.”

Rover nodded; It made sense. Perhaps it was better for Scar to wake up away from her and Jiyan lest he give his new dreams more weight. And yet the more concerned part of her wanted to make sure he awoke after his travels through the Somnoire.

Yangyang sighed. “You didn’t have to do this alone, you know. The general happened to be here but… you could have said something.”

“I didn’t really plan for all of this,” Rover replied softly, accepting the admonishment. “It did not seem like anything different that I normally handled.” And I thought you probably had more important things, she considered adding.

Yangyang pursed her lips. “It’s exactly the kind of thing you’d do. You don’t need to tell us everything but if something were to happen, Rover, I… we…”

Her mind flashed back to that missed dinner. She wasn’t upset. Frustrated perhaps at the time, but not upset. Her time with Jiyan almost dulled the memory. He hadn’t minimised any of her feelings but somehow… she understood now.

“I promise to call next time,” Rover said, and she did mean it.

She allowed Yangyang to help her up, her headache now settling. Now that she was standing, she could appreciate their surroundings, completely unchanged from when she and Jiyan had last been. She could see the leader of the Midnight Rangers on the bank. He was conversing with another Outrider, as the latter appeared to be packing supplies.

“Has it been long?” she asked her friend, as they made their way across the brook.

“We got the general’s message just over 24 hours ago,” she replied.

“His message?” Rover’s eyes flashed to Jiyan to find him already searching for her gaze. Her chest tightened.

Yangyang opened her mouth to reply but seemed to think better of it. “How about I let him tell you himself,” she said with a small smirk. “I have to head off soon. I stayed back to make sure you were okay, but they’d need to reinforcements for the prisoner transfer.”

“I’ll see you in Jinzhou?” Rover asked.

They were still just out of earshot.

Yangyang flashed her another smile. “Definitely! I get the feeling we have a lot to catch up on.”

JIYAN

Jiyan came to just in time to see Scar being transferred to the back of an armoured transport vehicle. His hand instantly went to his neck and he was grateful to feel it come away dry.

“HE’S AWAKE!” he heard the relieved shout and suddenly, there were three Rangers… Outriders… around him.  “Sir!” they said with a salute as Jiyan moved to a seated position.

“At ease,” he managed to say. He got to his feet unsteadily. They were back in the Waving Battlefield but... the doorway seemed much like an ordinary frame. “Rover?” He instantly saw her unconscious form not too far from where the gateway once stood.

He would have gone to her, if not the familiar form of Yangyang. She was in good hands.

“She’s alive, sir,” one of the Outriders offered helpfully. “Albeit asleep.”

Asleep, Jiyan’s brain filled in, Is she still in the Somnoire?

Jiyan got a pang of pain from his head. Suppressing a slight groan, he looked at the trio. “Who’s in charge of the operation?”

They pointed at another officer who just shut the doors to the vehicle, watching as the engine roared to life. Once the vehicle had begun its journey, the Ranger made her way back to him. He crossed the brook to meet her halfway.

“General,” she said with a salute. “Your intel was helpful. Thank you. I do apologise that we could not come earlier.”

“You were here at the perfect time,” Jiyan said reassuringly. “All okay?”

“So far.” She looked back at the tracks left by the vehicle. “We do need to head off soon to be present for handover at Jinzhou.”

“I understand, not to worry.”

She looked around noting the untouched valley. “How were things from your side?”

It was not a loaded question and perhaps she saw the look in her eyes. She dismissed her officers, and they busied themselves clearing the area in preparation for their departure.

“The Rover is awake,” she said to Jiyan, before he could continue.

He turned around, relief coursing through him. She was safe.

The officer said nothing as he turned back to face her. He cleared his throat.

“We were stuck in a realm that magnified the dangers, worsened by Scar’s innate abilities. But in the end, it seemed to have worked out.” From a military perspective, the knowledge that there was a realm with the potential to harbour dangers was valuable. But somehow, he knew that few would believe him regarding the existence of the Somnoire. If the absent doorway was an indication, the realm existed to be forgotten.

But he remembered. The challenges. The enhanced TDs. Rover. He had been surrounded by death since entering adulthood, and yet some of those memories made him run cold.

“With all due respect, what made you contact us then? We were prepared for a battle,” she asked.

“I had the feeling there was more under the surface. Besides, Scar has historically been quite… difficult… to apprehend.”

She nodded. “You seem unscathed though, that’s reassuring. About 36 hours in a strange realm and no complaints... I would expect nothing less of our general.”

Jiyan chuckled, never quite sure what to do with praise. “That is kind.”

He heard a splash as footsteps entered the water. Turning around, he met Rover’s eyes instantly- golden, bright. Her gaze flashed towards his then slightly lower. It seemed she remembered too.

The women greeted the senior officers once they were on the bank. There was a chirp of the Terminals, everyone’s hand instantly going to theirs but it was a message for the Outriders.

“We need to go,” Yangyang said to Rover once they had read the message. She looked towards him in apology.

“Duty calls,” he replied with a chuckle. “Thank you again for your help.”

Together, he and Rover watched them secure their gear and clarify their route. Rover danced on either leg- as though wishing to help but knowing she would likely get in the way.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, they got it. You need to rest.”

The goodbyes were exchanged and finally, he found himself alone with Rover. It felt different compared to their time in the Somnoire. He turned to look at him, curiosity in her expression.

“How did you know to call them?” she asked.

“I didn’t know, not really,” he replied softly. “When I went into the security office that morning before we left, I just asked them to pass along a message for me. We might have needed medical aid, transport… I don’t know. You were right when you called me over-prepared.”

“I really expected nothing less.” Rover held his hand and squeezed.

In the films, this was when he should have been brave and said something more, but concern felt like the more pressing emotion.

“Any side effects from the Somnoire?” he asked her. He already knew the answer to ‘Are you okay?’

“Headache, but nothing else. You?”

“Same, but it’s clearing up now.” He nodded. “I want to feel conflicted about Scar, but…”

“It’s difficult to empathise with someone who would kill you with no hesitation,” Rover completed for him. “I feel the same.”

“I wonder whether we should have given them a heads-up.”

“Scar isn’t going to remember this happened,” Rover said to him. He opened his mouth to ask the question, but Rover predicted it. “Because you entered with me, it is different. And regarding his Elysium, there’s always trouble when he opens it so… I’m not too worried.”

“I wonder whether you would think differently once you’ve rested.”

“Maybe,” she conceded with a chuckle. “But right now, it’s nice to think that we managed to sort everything out.”

“Well, apart from one thing.” He tried to manage a smile but couldn’t keep the sombreness out of his tone. What was it about the future that scared them so?

Rover didn’t need any clarification, but he saw the look in her eyes. She didn’t look sad or hurt or tortured, in the way the poets described. It was worse than that: A look he saw reflected in the mirror sometimes- someone willing to leave their feelings aside for the sake of duty.

They could part ways in this moment and never speak of it again. They had their lives to return to, people depending on them, a country constantly on the brink of chaos. But.

 He couldn’t leave it like this.

He couldn’t leave her like this.

SCAR

Scar awoke after a particularly violent lurch of the vehicle. Consciousness came suddenly, and with it, the disorientation.

His wrists were bound behind him, with the infernal resonance-dampening handcuffs. He was secured to the wall- any thought of moving about effectively dissipated. He suppressed the panic that rose in the back of his throat. This wasn’t the first time, and it surely would not be the last. But memories had a strange way of making unwelcome reappearances.

He tugged at his restraints, to hear someone clear their throat. He wasn’t alone, it seemed. Light streamed in from small windows near the roof of the vehicle; he did not miss the flash of blue in the corner- Midnight Ranger.

He did not need the drone of the engine to confirm that they were moving him. Another prison? Had he been a good boy? He chuckled at the thought.

“I feel honoured to get military escort,” he drawled. And it was surprising to see an Outrider there. Last time, they requested the Magistrate’s personal guard.

Silence. They had probably been advised not to make conversation, but he found it particularly aggravating.

“What did I do this time?” he mused aloud. “Hmm, I have avoided solitary confinement for the better part of a week. Ate all the vegetables for dinner. There was that one guy who made a comment about our Saviour of Huanglong… I didn’t break his nose on the spot. Was that it?”

More silence.

“The least you can do is humour me. Why…?”

Wait, why didn’t he remember?

He scoured his memories. What happened? His last memory in prison had been…

There was a momentary blackout. He was in bed, in the place between sleep and consciousness. If his Tacet Mark did not flare to life, he probably would not have even realised the issue in the prison. The silence had felt momentary.

 Did he try to open the Elysium? He would have, but he couldn’t recall. Images flickered through his brain, each making less sense than the previous:

The Port City of Guixu…

A short blade in a man’s throat…

A sea of Pecock flowers….

A woman with two-toned hair and golden eyes... so close than he could see the flecks in her iris… much more detail than he was ever afforded. Were they…? But the thought slipped through his fingers like water.

His heart raced in his chest, and he knew it wasn’t only the thrill of violence.

He tried to pull on the thread of the memories. In his mind’s eyes, he played multiple possibilities till one felt right. But the memories faded, even as he tried to grab onto them. Almost as though they had been just a dream.

There was one person capable of forgetting entire lifetimes. One person who had, allegedly, done it to herself. Had she? Had… they?

The vehicle was slowing now. He heard the shout from the guard as they likely reached a checkpoint. The vehicle shuddered to a halt. He tried his binds again, ignoring the ranger. If he wanted to stop him, he should get off his lazy ar….

The backdoors burst open, and he was surprised to see the girl that Rover brought to Qichi Village all that time ago. He forgot names, but a face? Never.

Always interfering, it seemed.

“You,” he said, meeting her gaze cooly despite his position. “Where have you taken me?”

She didn’t answer, joining him in the back of the vehicle and her colleague also stood. The latter moved closer, sliding a key easily into the lock to release him from the bar that lined the wall.

“If I knew it was that easy, I would have been nicer to you,” Scar said, wearing a face of innocence.

He heard the scoff, but nothing further. At least he wasn’t a puppet.

 They led him out of the vehicle, and Scar was very surprised by the military and police contingent who came to greet him. A nice meal would have been nice, his mind helpfully offered. Instead, they bore arms and stood awaiting orders.

He looked around, curious to find out where they had taken him. There were rumours of an underground prison in The Dim Forest. A change of scenery would be nice. But instead, he saw the familiar walls of Jinzhou. They hadn’t moved him, after all. They came to bring him back.

“Rover…” he murmured softly as the gates opened. “What did you do?”

Chapter Text

Jiyan and Rover returned to Port Gunchao together, little fingers interlocked till they made it out of the cave. There was so much to say but the words that she tried to string together seemed lacking.

“I’ll head back to Jinzhou with you,” Jiyan said as they neared the Resonance Beacon. “I’m assuming that you’ll be teleporting?”

“After what we’ve been through, walking back to the city is out of the question,” she said with a laugh.

“Good.” Rover was glad to see the smile on his face.

She hadn’t had a chance to think about how things would change now that they were back in reality. Jiyan had to return to the North and she… well, she needed to report back and provide Jinhsi an update following the Battle with the Threnodian. There was also the ongoing situation with Sentinel Jué which sounded like an issue that might warrant her attention.

Where did that leave them? Did Jiyan need to declare his relationship to deter reports of suspected nepotism? He’d already given his soldiers orders to help her whenever their paths crossed- she had originally thought it was a professional courtesy but now she wasn’t sure. Maybe… they should pretend it never happened? That might be easier.

“Shell Credit for your thoughts?” Jiyan asked, clicking his Terminal onto the Beacon’s console. He looked at her as the machine hummed to life.

“What happens now?” was all she could say. She knew she didn’t have to specify. It was a rare day when she and Jiyan weren’t on the same page.

“I’ve been thinking about that as well,” he replied, voice dropping low as he entered the capital’s coordinates. “I… I meant everything I said. I just… don’t know what a relationship looks like.”

“With me?”

“With us being who we are… Relationships in general…. Don’t laugh.” His mouth curved into a half-smirk as he clocked his accidental pun. “It’s difficult when you’re leading the military. You’re always ready to lay down your life for your country and now… I can’t even consider that possibility without you crossing my mind.”

Rover opened her mouth to say something, but the Beacon suddenly shuddered. A beam of light erupted from its pinnacle- simultaneously shooting up, into the stratosphere, and down, shielding them from each other. Rover shut her eyes on reflex.

Back to reality then.

When she reopened her eyes a few seconds later, Jinzhou faded into focus. The bustle of the city on the backdrop of the Grand Library. The smell of Panhua’s wafting down from the restaurant above. She stepped off the Beacon’s platform with Jiyan just beside her. She looked up at him, unsure of what to do.

What she wanted was finish their conversation, but it no longer seemed the time or place. Some of the townfolk raised their hands in greeting once they were recognised. The braver few came up to greet the renowned General of the Midnight Rangers. Most saw her in the city after all, but seeing Jiyan in the capital was far rarer.

“I think we both need some sleep,” Jiyan said, once the crowd had dissipated. “Ideally as dreamless as possible.”

“Sounds good,” Rover replied. They had stopped at her living quarters. Did they hug goodbye? Handshake? … Salute?

“But… shall we meet up later? Behind the theatre… say four o’clock? Walk with hiking boots.”

Her gaze snapped to his. “Jiyan… what?”

His eyes glinted with an emotion rarely displayed by him- a combination of mirth and mischief.

“I need to return to the Norfall Barrens tomorrow but … I just thought we could spend some time… without an impending crisis.”

She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. “Oh.”

“Is that a yes, Rover?” he prodded, his smirk betraying his feigned uncertainty.

“Yes, absolutely.”

***

Well-rested and showered, Rover made her way to the theatre. She heeded Jiyan’s advice regarding footwear but opted for overalls with T shirt. It gave her some functionality for whatever adventure Jiyan had planned and… it was nice not to wear her usual travel apparel.

She saw him immediately playing with some kittens under a tree. He wore a casual version of his uniform- black cargo trousers, black T-shirt with a teal shirt that he slung over his shoulders.

She joined him, relishing the feeling when his gaze took in her outfit. “This is… different to your usual style.”

“As is yours.”

He smiled softly, taking her hand in his. “Well, this is our first official date after all.” He said, as if completely unaware with the mild stutter of her heart. He led her out of the city on a grassy pathway to a waterfall.

“Are we having a picnic?” she asked, looking around.

“Of sorts. We’re going through the waterfall though.”

“Through the tunnel?”

“So you’ve been?” he asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

“I was on a mission. Trust me, I did very little sightseeing that day.”

He looked reassured. Rover found herself following Jiyan through the falls, a small outcropping of rock above minimising the risk of getting soaked. The cave opened to an area bound by mountain faces.

“This is where things start looking more like an adventure than a date,” Jiyan said, taking her hand again. He gestured towards a mountain path. “There’s a bit of a climb.”

“I take it your time on the front really skewed your idea of relaxation,” Rover said with a chuckle.

“No TD attacks. I consider that a win… You don’t mind, do you?” he furrowed his brows slightly.

“No, not at all. I’m just pulling your leg. But out of curiosity, what do you do in your free time?” she asked, as they started up the path.

“Things like this…” he answered, “I don’t think there’s any part of the Norfall Barrens I haven’t been to. Contrary to popular belief, there is beauty in its desolation. And if you know where to go, you can avoid the TDs entirely.”

“Does it get lonely?”

He took a second to think. “When I’m at the base, I’m busy enough that the thought doesn’t occur to me. And I daresay if I chose to go hiking on my downtime, it’s because I want the silence.” He met her eyes. “People don’t really talk about it but sometimes… the loneliness comes in the presence of other people. There’s a professional boundary there, which isn’t particularly conducive to casual conversations.”

“I suppose I can understand that… Though it’s not quite the same because I feel like I’m different, but I don’t know why.”

“I pray one day you do get back your memories,” Jiyan said softly, “I said it before, I can’t imagine what it’s like not knowing your full identity.”

“I think I know the important parts.”

“Like?” He sounded genuinely intrigued, and she felt compelled to be honest rather than humorous.

“Like… I know Jinzhou is important to me. I know I believe in its people, and I know they are worth everything I was sent to do. And…” she paused, “For some reason, I believed in you long before we actually met.”

He looked over at her and for a moment she wondered if she was a bit too honest. But his next words warmed her and terrified her at the same time: “I feel the same.”

They had arrived a ravine, another waterfall at their right. The moment was lost in view of the task ahead. A large log had conveniently been felled to function at a bridge. Jiyan let Rover walk ahead, leading up the rear. Unlike the car in the Somnoire challenges, this was stable and they made it across easily. Another climb later, they arrived in a field of flowers.

Rover excitedly dashed a few feet forward, turning back to face him.

“This is where I met Verina!” she told him excitedly, picking one of the blooms to return to his side to hand it to him.

“I’ve never seen it so beautiful,” he mused, though he was not quite looking at the flower. “When did you realise?” he asked suddenly.

“Realise what?”

“Realise that there… was something else between us? I said a lot in the Somnoire. And sometimes you do things because they are the right thing to do. But you don’t share your thoughts, not really. There were a few times on our adventure when I realised that you had many feelings about many things, things no one would have otherwise thought… “He took a breath, “What I’m saying…”

Was Jiyan rambling?

She put her hands on his forearm, effectively derailing his train of thought, ‘It was after you came with me to all those appointments. I think before then… I rationalised that everything you did was per your duty as general. That time… it seemed different.”

She took a momentary pause before continuing. “The reason I haven’t said anything… I think for a long time I didn’t know the difference between romantic and platonic love, is that strange? I fight to protect my friends. I want to spend time with them. Even now, I wonder…” she let the thought trail off.

“What do you wonder?” Jiyan prompted softly.

“I wonder… if this is what love feels like. That time in the meadow,” she felt herself blush at the memory, “That was when it clicked. Umm, I did have a lot of feelings that day. But it occurred to me after that even if we were to never..." she broke off briefly, "It wouldn’t change the way I feel. It didn’t make sense, I thought love was meant to feel different.”

She gazed up at him slightly imploringly, as though willing him to make sense of her own brain for her.

“I think…” Jiyan said slowly, tracing her jawline with the flower, “That you don’t need to figure everything out now.” A smirk formed on the corner of his mouth. “But what I’m hearing is… if I were to kiss you again, you wouldn’t mind?”

“That is true.”

The flower fluttered to the ground.

“And if I were to hold you here,” she felt his hand on her hip, “You would not push me away?”

“That is also true,” her voice barely a whisper.

He looked at her, feeling his own chest tighten. “Rover, I’m no more an expert than you but I think… I've never met anyone else who has made me feel as you do. This is something.”

“But what about our jobs? We’re like ships in the night.”

He sighed, dropping his hand. “Does that change anything for you? Because it doesn’t for me.”

“I… no. I was more worried about…”

He silenced her with a kiss at the top of her head. “I told you don’t need to worry about me. Besides I think your analogy is wrong.”

“How so?” She looked up at him.

“You’re the one who wanders, my duty confines me to Huanglong. If anything, you’re the ship.”

“What does that make you?”

He didn’t answer immediately. “I can be your harbour… if you’ll have me.”

Rover’s eyes stung with the threat of impending tears.

“I might return with a lot of baggage,” she whispered.

“You might. I daresay I’m equipped to deal with it.”

“And what do I bring you?”

“Similar to what you bring to many people in this country- hope for the future.”

There were a million things that could go wrong, Rover knew- countless possibilities that could cause a relationship to fail. Her mind flashed to the conversation with Scar and to that ever-present possibility that one day, the ship might not return. Or worse, she would find herself unable to dock- her harbour destroyed in the war.

But when she met Jiyan’s mouth in the sea of flowers, only a single thought remained- the one truth which superseded everything: they were willing to try.

Chapter Text

THREE YEARS AGO…

Lady Arbiter made it a point this time to remain an anonymous observer. It had been years since she had last been to the Black Shores. After years of futility, surely the answer to The Lament would not be found on the isolated archipelago but perhaps within the areas where the Lament struck.

She ventured to Huanglong, only to be struck by the relentlessness of the carnage- The Tacet Discords in the northern territory, the influence of the Threnodian. The war was stretching on for far too long, but… they were not yet as a crossroads. Any intervention would be premature.

She decided to help with the wartime efforts. Jinzhou was her city; these were her people. The challenge lay in maintaining her anonymity. Her abilities would easily identify her- even if not as Lady Arbiter then as someone strong enough to defeat the Threnodian.

And it was not time. This civilisation needed to develop on its own and if General Lin were to discover her, she doubted she would have much of a choice

She kept her head down and did as she was told- a wallflower. At least joining the medical supply team felt vaguely helpful. With her skillset, she made a useful runner and was able to ensure the delivery of medical supplies. Given the risks, induction involved being able to provide basic medical care until help could arrive.

It was learning experience for the Astral Modulator- she learned skills that were thought unnecessary for her position at the Black Shores. But now- She knew how to suture, assess for a collapsed lung, basic wound care. She learned when a patient might not survive the night.

There was a misery to it that was untouched by anything she had done before. In the medical tents, a third of patients that survived their primary injury often got sent back to the front lines. Sometimes, she never saw them again.

***

She was told that only those with no regard for their lives accepted the job of a runner. It had been only a couple months, and she had lost multiple colleagues on the roads. There was no point to learning each other’s names when turnover was so high. But occasionally, especially when her teammate for the day looked older than she, they would initiate the small talk.

She had something prepared: She lost her family because of the Lament. She wanted to help.

‘Why not work in Taoyuan Vale? Or Jinzhou? Any work is good work’, they would say in that sympathetic voice of theirs. And her all-time favourite, ‘You’re too young for this’.

“I’m older than I look,” she had said. “Besides the Midnight Rangers have recruits as young as eighteen.”

It was more than she needed to say, but the honesty felt good.

Their job was simple- transport goods from between the base, Camp Overwatch and satellite recon teams in the Suspended Ruins. Sometimes, collection took place at the medical tents instead of the military base. She hated those days but appreciated them; humanity at its most fragile never became easier to look at, but it was a good reminder of what she was fighting for.

On one such day, she saw him for the first time.

The tent was overrun with casualties. A teal-haired medic flitted between the makeshift beds. It was only his face that betrayed his age, else she would have thought him far more senior. Small enquiries revealed interesting information- His parents were also doctors, he had studied under them prior to his formal education, he had impressed the upper ranks with his intuition in warfare and strategy and they were likely considering him for a promotion. Medic-turned-soldier was a strange path, but she had seen stranger things.

Lady Arbiter found out many things but never his name.

In the days to follow, they never interacted- there was no cause to- but she kept an eye on him. For all the world, he was a non-resonator, but she could feel his power just dancing below the surface. Mutant then, but to be in the throes of war and managing to keep one’s calm, something significant would have to trigger his Forte activation.

Unfortunately, she got her answer.

***

It could have been any other day on the frontlines. The howls of the Dreadmanes in the distance cast a blanket of eeriness on a bleak day. It was overcast, not yet raining, but the air was still. The soldiers had left earlier that morning. There were reports of a new Tacet Field a few clicks north of Yuanwang Camp, and a squadron was deployed to tackle the threat.

Lady Arbiter found herself running inventory checks. Most of the essential trips were completed earlier in the week and resources were now being prioritised to Camp Overwatch. But there was a spike of TD activity demonstrated around Yuanwang Camp and it had become a satellite camp.

The day passed as it normally did except… the troops had not returned. The camp held its breath as a recon team was sent. That was strange. Teams often did not cross-cover as it wasted the human resource. The dark-haired resonator later learned the details of the members of the squadron- chief among them was Lieutenant Beiwang.

He was a kind man, known for protecting each member of his troop and acting as a mentor for young soldiers. She had met him a few times and from what she garnered, he was not a stranger to the medics; he frequently put himself in danger for his team. He was seen as a paternalistic figure within the army. So many of the young men came from broken families and he represented a degree of security and reliability- home away from home.

It was around five in the morning when she awoke to the sound of the bugle. The soldiers!

She rushed out, careful to draw her hood up as she normally did. She saw them on the gravel road immediately- Five men. Only two were strong enough to support another.  

She rushed to the medical tent- this was an all-hands-on-deck. Anarchy greeted her. She hurriedly got her gloves on and hastily collected supplies for the wound care packs.

A cry got her attention, drawing her focus away from the supply containers to a bed in the far corner of the tent. Makeshift curtains had been constructed for the semblance of privacy. The teal haired medic was there. She saw as he fell to his knees, clutching the hand of his patient.

She couldn’t draw her eyes away. Was that…? Her legs were moving before her brain caught up. A crowd was gathering - anonymity was not an issue in the sea of faces- and she was worried. What she saw, what she felt, was a thrum of power.

She saw some members of the crowd bend the heads, paying their last respects. Oh. Oh. It was Beiwang.

When the medic’s sobs came, she was not prepared for it. They tore at her soul, giving her the impression that his was breaking. Shattering under the weight of loss.

She picked up the pace, trying to reach the crowd to get them to disperse. She could feel it now- the tell-tale signs of an impending Forte activation.

She had managed dissuade others from moving towards the area, but the crowd… there were air currents within the tent, a light zephyr which began to strengthen. He could destroy the tent…

She ran into the room. The crowd now sensing something was wrong had moved of their own volition. The winds were not yet enough to risk blowing her hood off, but she secured the ties.

“Doctor,” she said, wishing that she did know his name in that moment, “You need to stop. The patients.”

He made no indication that he heard nor saw her. The area around his dorsal ride was glowing, flickering initially until the light steadied, becoming more obvious through his scrub top.

The tent was holding together but not for long. Aero Resonators could generate hurricane-grade winds and there was no telling whether he would overclock. She had to stop it else every patient would be at risk.

She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Doctor,” she tried for the final time.

“He wasn’t supposed to die,” he whispered, voice barely audible over the winds. “He was going to show me…” A dry sob racked his body as the winds picked up again.

“I know,” she tried soothingly, “This is not easy.”

“I had an answer to his riddle,” the young man insisted. “I finally solved it.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, but she rubbed his shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

“He wasn’t meant to DIE.” he insisted.

It felt very out of character from the person she learned from a distance. He was young, she could hear it now in his words, in his breaking voice.

“We are at war,” she found herself saying, “Maybe one day we can stop these deaths.”

She felt her resonance energy in her fingertips and released a controlled burst for a stasis effect. She saw the tension drain from his posture, felt as the winds began to die down.

It wasn’t enough to knock him unconscious, but she was aiming for a mild sedation. It would wear off in minutes.

And she would need those minutes to make herself scarce. How many wielded Spectro? Too few.

***

She stepped out of the tent and walked into the night, far away from the now-dying pre-cyclonic winds. She wiped her tears that she hadn’t realised she spilled with the back of her hand, trying to calm her breathing.

He didn’t deserve that. That… grief. It was enough to activate a Forte of that magnitude.

But despite the emotional weight of the moment, the Astral Modulator knew it wasn’t an unfortunate development. He fulfilled all the criteria- A Resonator strong enough to change the tide of this War, but empathetic enough to prioritise the people. Perhaps she was wrong- she had come to Huanglong at a crossroad.

She extended a hand to the sky and her own Tacet Mark roared to life.

She felt the change in the air current before she saw the force of nature- a Qingloong, barrelling towards her.  The dragon danced around her and spiralled over her Tacet mark.

“Take care of him,” she whispered. She did not need to specify.

She had already done it twice in the century- linking humans to these beings of raw power. Sentinel Jué made sense- the Temporal Mandate on Mount Firmament needed to be restored- but this.

She cast a final glance as the retreating form of her dragon and at the tent where the once-sobbing soldier lay.

This was different.