Pain dragged Jin awake.
Not sharp—just there. Everywhere. Like someone had taken him apart, shaken all the pieces in a box, and reassembled him wrong. His head throbbed. His ribs complained with every breath. Even his eyelids hurt.
What... the hell...
He forced his eyes open. Vision swam, unfocused and blurry at the edges. Shapes resolved slowly—dim lights hung from the ceiling, off-white and water-stained. Medical supplies scattered on a nightstand.
Jin tried to move.
His body screamed objections.
He froze, breathing shallow, waiting for the pain to settle into something manageable. Gradually, details filtered through the haze. Bandages wrapped his torso—tight, professional. His right arm rested in what looked like a makeshift fracture sling, strapped against his chest. Loose rugged gown.
Okay. Not dead, and all of my limbs are still attached… both eyes are working. That's... a start, at least.
With his free hand—the left one, the one that didn't feel like it was held together with spite and duct tape—he checked under the blanket.
Underwear. Still there.
Jin exhaled in relief. "At least they left me some dignity."
He let his head fall back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling. Every muscle felt wrong. Not just sore—stuffed. Like someone had pumped him full of concrete while he was unconscious.
Somewhere beyond the door, muffled voices. The faint hum of essence in the air—wards, probably. Security enchantments.
Am I back at the hideout? How long was I out?
He focused on breathing. In. Out. Slow. Measured.
The pain didn't disappear. But it... settled. Became background noise instead of a screaming alarm.
Okay. Status check.
"Narrator," Jin muttered, voice rough like he'd gargled sandpaper. "Status report. How bad am I?"
The familiar presence stirred in his mind—cold, analytical, utterly unbothered by Jin's current state of falling apart.
? With the Harvest successfully completed, feedback pushed significant vitality into your system. Combined with your team's medical intervention, most injuries have stabilized. ?
? Current assessment: ?
? Right orbital region: Severe bruising. Source of current headache. ?
? Chest wound: Twelve-centimeter laceration, recently sutured. Healing in progress. Estimated recovery: four days. ?
? Right arm: Bones mended via essence-assisted regeneration. Structural integrity: seventy-three percent. Full function restoration: two days. ?
? Recommendation: Rest. Without an elite-grade healing skill, instant recovery is not feasible. Cease unnecessary movement. ?
Jin huffed something that might've been a laugh if it didn't hurt so much. "So basically, shut up and lie down."
? Correct. ?
"Great. Love it when you're straightforward."
He closed his eyes, letting the breathing pattern do its work. His mind drifted, replaying fragments—the fight, Vellakin's grin, the way Iron Howl had glowed blue-white with everything he'd channeled into that last shot, and the ridiculous powers of Joe.
I won. Barely.
"Cryo affinity's insane," Jin murmured.
A harsh cough wracked his body. He ran his tongue over dry lips, tasting copper. Blood.
And I really need to start on the mage path. Seriously.
Sorceries are versatile, no doubt. Useful. But having to speak incantations mid-combat was just inviting someone to punch him in the throat at the worst possible moment.
The problem gnawed at him. He'd barely scraped by against Vellakin, and that was with Joe pulling a miracle save. Next time? He might not be so lucky.
And from three-verse sorceries up, I'll need entity permissions. That's... complicated. Hell, I don’t even know if they would even pick up my call.
Jin ran his good hand through his hair, wincing when his fingers brushed against a particularly tender spot on his scalp.
Need countermeasures. For everything. At least for the common ways I can get screwed.
His thoughts circled back to Joe. The way he'd appeared through that spatial rift, grinning like he hadn't just torn through an ORDER IV spatial seal like tissue paper.
Joe's strong. Really damn strong.
Stronger than Jin had realized. He is probably just a step away from ORDER V rank.
I would've died without him.
The thought sat heavy in his chest. Heavier than the bandages. Heavier than the pain.
Jin shoved it down. Locked it away in the same mental box where he kept all the other inconvenient truths about mortality and luck and borrowed time.
Focus on what matters. What did I get from the harvest?
Jin opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. "Narrator. Show me the Harvest."
Blue light flickered in his peripheral vision.
? Displaying harvest results. ?
~~~
? HARVEST COMPLETE: Vellakin, The Favored of Hand Vella ?
? STATS
└─ [21.002] stats of VIT.
└─ [45.001] stats of STR.
└─ [25.029] stats of END.
└─ [17.022] stats of DEX.
└─ [24.020] stats of FOC.
└─ [22.021] stats of INT.
? VITALITY
└─ [1582.12] units of vitality restored.
? AURA & BLESSINGS
└─ [5.0432] wisps of “The Darkened One’s” Aura
└─ [4.1251] wisps of “The Blood Mother’s” Aura
└─ [0.9455] wisps of Blessing of “The Darkened One”
└─ [0.8906] wisps of Blessing of “The Blood Mother”
? LATENT AURA
└─ [42.101] units of Latent Aura
? SKILL FRAGMENTS
└─ [147.521%] fragments of “Entropy Zone” skill
└─ [102.099%] fragments of “Spatial seal” skill
└─ [101.521%] fragments of “Blessing of Maw” skill. (Incompatible skill ? recommendation: Use these fragments to push other skills' evolution or in combination.)
└─ [131.22%] fragments of “Velakin’s innate combat mastery” skill
? AFFINITIES
└─ [80.800] units of Darkness affinity
└─ [66.012] units of Space affinity
? OTHERS
└─ Full absorption of Velakin’s [Darkness] symbiotic weapon ? Redirected to Reduvia. Trigger for Reduvia’s evolution detected, need additional items.
? HARVEST COMPLETE! ?
~~~
Jin stared at the readout.
Holy shit.
Those stat numbers—VIT, STR, END—they were insane. No wonder his body felt wrong. It was being rebuilt from the inside out, forced to accommodate power that would've crushed him a week ago.
"Shit... those are a lot of stat points. That should just straight up max my stats to overlimits!" Jin muttered.
? Correct. Stat integration causes a temporary physiological adjustment period. Discomfort will fade. ?
"Temporary. Right." He bit his lip, focusing on the next line. "Also, I'm curious about forty-two units of Latent Aura. What does that even mean? I mean, how do you put that in numbers?"
? Latent Aura is the manifestation of one’s existential will against reality. ?
? It is accumulated through unique experiences, overcoming adversity, and surviving impossible odds. It represents your claim to existence—your refusal to be erased. ?
Jin sighed. “I know that… What I’m asking is about the numbers!”
? Breakthrough thresholds: ?
? ORDER I: One unit. ?
? ORDER II: Ten units. ?
? ORDER III: Fifty units. ?
? ORDER IV: Two hundred units. ?
? ORDER V: One thousand units. ?
"That's good to know, but I didn't ask that!" Jin's cough got worse after he shouted.
? … ?
“You know what, leave it…” Jin scrolled back through the harvest results, attention snagging on the skill fragments.
Entropy Zone. Spatial Seal. Combat Mastery.
And that last one—Blessing of Maw. Incompatible.
"Blessing of Maw—that's because of my soul, right?"
? Correct. ?
? [Blessing of Maw] is for soulless beings, and you are unfortunately not a soulless being. However, fragments can be repurposed. ?
"Good enough." Jin nodded slowly; his eyes lingered on Spatial Seal and Entropy Zone.
Those are sick. Trapping enemies, denying escape routes, decay fields...
He stared at the readout a moment longer, then dismissed it with a mental flick. "I call for my Mantle."
o__________________________________________o
…
NAME: Jin Winters
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
AGE: 17 years old.
[ORDER II] ENTITY | High Mortal Rank
TITLE: The Soul Truly Beyond the Stars of Fate, The one who harvested Divinity, The Eternal One’s Blessed.
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
THE MANTLE OF HARVEST
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? BOON
"What mortal hands would barely reap, the Bearer's touch shall always yield more—when the harvest blade learns new domains, all gathered yields eternal gains."
└─[MANIFESTATIONS]: CHAINS OF HARVEST
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? CULTIVATION PATH
『 THE PATH OF ETERNAL SOVEREIGN 』
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
"Reality bends not to strength, but to absolute understanding. The Eternal Sovereign walks between mortal perception and cosmic truth, wielding consciousness as both weapon and crown."
【PAGE ONE: THE FIRST THRESHOLD, TRIESSENCE STAR FORMATION.】
└─ [STARS FORGED] 1/3
【First Star: The Eternal Sovereign Soul.】[ASSIMILATE]
【FUNCTIONS】
???? ESSENCE CONVERSION ENGINE
└─ Converts ANY essence type → Astral Essence
└─ Conversion Rate: 85% efficiency (base)
???? PURIFICATION PROTOCOL
└─ Automatically cleanses and protects from hostile/incompatible essence and presences.
???? SYNTHESIS MATRIX
└─ Combines multiple essence types into hybrid forms
└─ Creates custom essence signatures
【PASSIVE EFFECTS】
???? Essence Purity: +200%
???? Cultivation Speed: +150%
???? Breakthrough Stability: +300%
???? Corruption Resistance: HIGH
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? ESSENCE TRANSFORMATION
???? ESSENCE → ASTRAL ESSENCE
???? PURITY: Exceptional (+200% from Star)
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? AFFINITY
???? [CRYO] & [DARKNESS] AFFINITY
???? AFFINITIES FORMING
└─ [SPACE]: 66.012%
└─ [VOID]: 01.012%
└─ [FIRE]: 11.012%
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? STATS
? [BODY]
└─ Vitality: 61.231
└─ Strength: 66.403
└─ Endurance: 73.798
└─ Dexterity: 77.121
└─ Resistance: 80.00
? [MIND]
└─ Intelligence: 73.211
└─ Essence: 80.00
└─ Focus: 61.661
└─ Will: 77.012
? [SOUL]
└─ Soul: 50.00
└─ Insight: 1.01
└─Karma: 0.011111
…
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? MARKED SKILLS [1/5]
???? [Adept] [OMNI-READER'S VIEWPOINT (GROWTH TYPE)] (51)
└─ Sight beyond Veil [PASSIVE]
└─ Narrator [SEMI-AUTONOMOUS]
└─ Overdrive [PASSIVE]
└─ Parallel Processing [ACTIVE] (0/2) Echo → Assigned.
└─ Perspective Shift [ACTIVE]
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? BONDED SKILLS
???? [Novice] Reduvia's Shadow
└─ Darkness Born [Bond Lv. 2] (Inherited)
└─ ?????
? EQUIPPED EQUIPMENT & ASSOCIATED SKILLS
???? Iron Howl: Soulbound [LVL 2]
└─ [Spatial Link Chamber]
└─ [Essence Resonance Burst]
└─ [Predator’s Mark]
└─ [Soul Memory] ? Imprints (1/3) → Imprint of Velakin
???? Essence Edge: Soulbound [LVL 2]
└─ [Essence Catalyst] ? [250]% bonus
└─ [Essence Reservoir] ? [500/500] Essence Core
???? Zephyr Stride
└─ [Zephyr Walk]
└─ [Feathered Fall]
└─ [Wind Step]
???? RESONANT BANDS OF THE DUAL FLOW
└─ [Linked Circuits] ? Essence and spell efficiency by 25%
└─ [Echo Flow]
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? ACQUIRED SKILLS
【COMBAT & WEAPON MASTERY】
???? [Adept] Light Firearm Mastery (99)
???? [Adept] Combat Flow (99)
???? [Adept] Combat Mastery (75)
???? [Adept] Dagger Mastery (69)
???? [Adept] Unarmed Combat Mastery (81)
???? [Adept] Tactics and Battle Plans (77)
???? [Adept] Aiming (81)
???? [Adept] Adaptive Combat Instinct (67)
???? [Novice] Sword Mastery (19)
???? [Novice] Dual Wield Synchronization (11)
???? [Novice] Entropy Zone (01)
???? [Novice] Spatial Seal (01)
【ESSENCE & SORCERY】
???? [Adept] Essence Manipulation (97)
???? [Adept] Essence Conversion (52)
???? [Adept] Path of Sorceries (89)
???? [Adept] Essence Sight (89)
???? [Adept] Path of Rituals (57)
???? [Adept] Essence Gathering and Cultivation (93)
???? [Adept] Sorcery Incantation (79)
???? [Adept] Essence Honing (92)
???? [Adept] Essence Breathing Techniques (86)
???? [Adept] Essence Flow Reading (75)
???? [Novice] Essence Reserves Overload (45)
???? [Novice] Essence Reinforcement (41)
???? [Novice] Divinity Manipulation ?UNIQUE? (01)
???? [Novice] Karma Manipulation ?UNIQUE? (01)
【PERCEPTION & ANALYSIS】
???? [Adept] Reading (57)
???? [Adept] Learning and Remembering (79)
???? [Adept] Target Assessment (68)
???? [Adept] Predictive Analysis (58)
???? [Adept] Weak Point Insights (92)
???? [Adept] Observe (81)
???? [Adept] Farsight (67)
???? [Adept] Danger Sense (79)
???? [Adept] Rune Knowledge (83)
【PHYSICAL & MOBILITY】
???? [Adept] Pain Suppression (84)
???? [Adept] Pain Resistance (92)
???? [Adept] Pain Mitigation (54)
???? [Adept] Physical Fitness (64)
???? [Adept] Adrenaline Overclock (51)
???? [Adept] Momentum Control (51)
???? [Adept] Ambidexterity (61)
???? [Adept] Sprinting (61)
???? [Adept] Evasion (54)
???? [Novice] Acrobatics (21)
???? [Novice] Dodging (31)
???? [Novice] Quick fingers (49)
???? [Novice] sleight of hand (21)
【UTILITY & CRAFT】
???? [Adept] Strategic Planning (51)
???? [Adept] Runecarving (77)
???? [Adept] Ritual circles making (77)
???? [Novice] Cleaning (23)
???? [Novice] Alchemy/Potion Crafting (18)
【MENTAL FORTITUDE】
???? [Adept] Unbreaking Mind (58)
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
? ACTIVE EFFECTS
???? Divine Blessing Residue: 0.2% (fading)
???? Latent Aura: Awakened (not yet condensed) [76 Units]
???? Essence Channels: Damaged
???? Body: Severely injured
???? Mental Strain: 67%
o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o
【WARNINGS】
???? Fate Variant Signature IV
???? Karmic Anomaly Present
…
o__________________________________________o
Jin froze.
Wait.
He stared at it. Blinked. Stared harder.
WAIT.
"I BROKE THROUGH TO ORDER II?!"
Pain exploded through his ribs as he tried to sit up. His breath caught, vision whiting out for a second as every injury screamed in unison. Jin gasped, collapsing back against the pillows, clutching his chest with his free hand.
Ow. Ow ow ow. Bad idea. Very bad idea.
"Fuck," he wheezed. I need to find a healing skill.
The door slammed open.
Jin's head snapped toward the sound—instant regret as his neck muscles screamed in protest.
Oh, c'mon. Why is everything broken? Damn... It hurts.
"You're awake." Rudy stood in the doorway, shoulders tense, knuckles white where his hand gripped the doorframe. "Sure got a lot of energy if you can yell that loud."
Jin tried for casual. "Yeah, man. Takes more than an ORDER IV monster to—"
"Don't."
One word. That was all Rudy said.
But it carried enough weight to make Jin shut his mouth.
Rudy walked into the room. Slow. Deliberate. Each step measured like he was physically restraining himself from doing something rash.
He stopped at the foot of Jin's bed. Stared.
Minutes passed in silence.
Jin watched Rudy's chest rise and fall—too fast, too shallow. The tell-tale signs of someone fighting for control.
Okay, the silence is killing me… let’s start with something good…
"Bro," Jin managed, voice strained. “I'm ORDER II now."
Rudy blinked. "...What?"
"Order. Two. I broke through."
For a moment, Rudy just stared. Then his expression shifted—relief flooding in first, washing across his face like a wave. But something darker followed immediately after, tightening his features.
He looked... upset.
No. Not upset.
Pissed.
"You..." Rudy's voice cracked. He stopped, swallowed hard. "You're seriously sitting here grinning about stats when you almost died?"
Jin's grin faltered.
"Jin, I—" Rudy stopped, turning away, running a hand through his hair. When he turned back, his eyes were hard. "Do you have any idea how close you were? Joe said when he found you, half your chest was melted from that decay field. You were bleeding out. Your arm was—" He cut himself off, jaw working. "You were dying."
"Rudy—"
"No." Rudy's voice went sharp."You don't get to 'Rudy' me. You're so smart, aren't you? Then where were your exit plans?" He took a step closer. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Jin met his eyes. "I was thinking I had a job to do and a narrow window to do it. The ritual's compromised. Vellakin's dead. Mission accomplished."
"Mission accomplished?" Rudy's voice pitched higher. "You could've been dead, Jin—"
He stopped. Breathing hard. His hands trembled slightly before he shoved them into his pockets.
Silence stretched between them.
Jin's ribs throbbed. His head pounded. But under Rudy's anger, he could see the fear. The same fear Jin had felt watching Rudy charge into danger time and again.
"But I'm not," Jin said quietly. "I'm here. Breathing. Annoying you." He tried for a smile. "That counts for something, right?"
Rudy stared at him. Then his shoulders sagged, the fight bleeding out. "You're not doing this alone anymore."
"Rudy—"
"I don't care if you're ORDER II, ORDER X, or the next coming of some dead god." Rudy's voice was rough. "We're partners. That means you don't get to play hero and leave me wondering if you're gonna come back in a body bag. Got it?"
"You're really annoying when you're right," Jin said finally.
"Yeah, well." Rudy shrugged. "Someone's gotta keep your suicidal ass alive."
Jin huffed a weak laugh. "Asshole."
"Takes one to know one."
The door opened again—slower this time. Joe leaned in, arms crossed, grinning like he'd just won a bet.
"Heard yelling. Figured the hero was awake."
Reyana appeared behind him, expression flat. "I missed the fight."
Joe strolled in, hands in his pockets, all casual confidence. Reyana followed, her sharp gaze flicking over Jin's bandages.
"So," Joe said, stopping at the foot of the bed. "ORDER II. Congrats. You're officially less pathetic."
"Your faith in me is touching."
Joe laughed. "Hey, you survived an ORDER IV. That's worth something. Most people?" He made a squelching gesture. "Boom. You? Merely tenderized."
"Thanks for the save, Joe."
"Don't mention it." Joe's expression softened, just slightly. "We're a team now." He glanced at Reyana, who nodded once. "Reyana and I will head out first. In the meantime, Rudy—get Jin something decent to wear."
Rudy nodded. "Okay."
Joe clapped him on the shoulder as he passed, then paused at the door. "Oh, and Jin? Don't scare us like that again."
The door closed behind them.
"Come on, let's get you dressed," Rudy offered his hand. "Salvatore wants to see you. And we've got a shit ton of loot to sort through."
Jin took it, gritting his teeth as Rudy helped him sit up, then stand. His legs wobbled. His ribs protested every movement. But he stayed upright, right arm in its cast pressed tight against his chest.
"Loot," Jin muttered, limping toward the door with Rudy staying close. "Now you're speaking my language. Though what’s wrong with the gown, Rudy?”
“Oh, that… well, that gown is open from the back”
Jin froze mid-step. "What?!"
Rudy's lips twitched. "Yeah. Full moon on display."
"You could've led with that!"
"Where's the fun in that?"
???
The meeting room was larger than Jin expected.
High ceilings. Reinforced walls with ward-lines etched into the corners. A long table dominated the center, scarred from use but solid. Three people waited.
Joe sprawled on the couch like he owned it, one leg thrown over the armrest, arms spread wide along the back. Casual. Relaxed.
Reyana stood by a desk stacked with neat piles of documents. She turned when they entered, face as unreadable as ever.
Salvatore sat at the table, cleaning a blade. He paused mid-stroke when he saw Jin. "You look like shit, by the way."
"Feel like it too."
"Good." Salvatore’s voice dropped, just slightly. Just enough. "Means you're alive to feel anything."
Rudy helped Jin to the couch. Jin sank into it gratefully, muscles trembling from the short walk. Sweat beaded at his temples.
How long was I out that standing is this exhausting?
Reyana nodded at him. Not quite a smile, but close. "I didn't tell you before, but I'm glad you're not dead."
Jin raised an eyebrow. "Thank you…"
"Would've been inconvenient." She tilted her head slightly, a small grin tugging at her lips. "We still need you."
"Wow. I'm touched."
Joe snorted from the couch.
Salvatore set down his blade. His attention shifted to Rudy first, then to Jin. The weight of an ORDER VI entity's focus—an Overlord's—settled over them like a physical presence.
"You both did well."
The words were simple. Direct. No embellishment.
But they carried weight.
Salvatore's gaze focused on Rudy. "Seeing a technique once and replicating even a fraction of it... Most take years to reach that level of attunement with their path." A pause. "Your Asura breakthrough accelerated more than just your body."
Rudy tried not to show how much that meant.
Failed spectacularly.
His shoulders straightened slightly. Chin lifted. Pride is warring with his natural tendency toward self-doubt.
"Just... instinct, I guess," he said.
"Instinct honed by discipline," Salvatore corrected. "And your skill—it broke through to Elite mastery during the Delta assault."
Rudy's eyes went wide. "Wait. Actually?"
Salvatore nodded once.
"Holy shit," Rudy breathed.
Then Salvatore turned to Jin.
"Facing an ORDER IV entity alone and surviving is impressive." His eyes—dark and measuring—held Jin's. "Fatally wounding it before extraction..."
He trailed off. Let the silence speak.
Jin shifted uncomfortably. "Joe did most of the heavy lifting."
"Don't sell yourself short!" Joe called from the kitchen, voice echoing. "You cracked that core open like an egg. I just redirected your bullet and opened a door on the guy."
Salvatore's lips twitched—the closest thing to a smile Jin had seen from him. "Humility is admirable. But do not diminish your accomplishment. You have earned your breakthrough."
Jin didn't know what to say to that. So he just nodded.
"However." Salvatore's expression didn't change, but something in his tone shifted. "Take this incident as a warning. There are forces in this world beyond comprehension. Life is unpredictable, even for the strong." His gaze sharpened. "Remember: brilliance without caution becomes martyrdom."
The words hung in the air.
"Noted," Jin said quietly.
"Oh, it's been almost fifteen hours since the attack," Reyana spoke, looking at Jin. Her fingers traced the edge of one of the document stacks—a small, unconscious gesture. "If you were wondering."
"Fifteen hours?" Jin's head snapped toward her. “That’s a lot of time…”
"Yeah. So were your injuries." Reyana shrugged, pulling five spatial rings from her pocket. She slid them across the coffee table with practiced ease. A small smirk played at the corner of her mouth. "Warehouse looting went smoothly. Very smooth."
"What'd we get?"
"Haven't checked yet," Rudy said.
“Hmm… Why not?”
Reyana's expression didn't change. "We were waiting for you." She gestured at the document stacks. "I took a quick look at the documents, but nothing made sense... so we all, on Joe's advice, decided to rest."
Jin nodded, setting the ring down. "Understandable."
"I did find various references to 'the Grand Working' and timetables, though," Reyana noted, tapping the top document. "Repeated. Consistent."
So we're on the clock. Still.
Jin set down the ring. His expression shifted, humor fading into something more serious.
"The ritual chamber I found," he said slowly. "It's worse than we thought."
The room went quiet.
Everyone's attention sharpened.
"It’s a part of Convergence Ritual." Jin continued. "It's a node in a larger array. Tier 7 classification."
Salvatore went very still. "Tier 7. That's..."
“That chamber is a smaller-scale mapping of the primary Tier 7 ritual, and its purpose is to extract all the essence and lifeforce." Jin finished. "Basically, population conversion into a singular divine avatar. Yeah."
Horror dawned on Rudy's face. "They're turning everyone in Vienna into—what, fuel?"
"Fuel for something. Someone." Jin's jaw clenched. “I guess that’s why there are no survivors.”
“Oh, and I managed to introduce a Trojan into the ritual...” Jin leaned back against the couch, exhaustion pulling at him. “It's spreading through their network now. It’ll take time, but eventually, I'll have access to corrupt the whole system from a distance."
"And then?" Reyana asked.
"Then, in our final battle—whenever that is..." Jin's eyes hardened. "I should be able to stop the ritual. Just for a couple of moments. But it might be enough."
"Good." Salvatore stood, moving toward what passed for a kitchen area—a small counter, portable camping stove, supplies stacked in crates. "All in all, our first mission went well." He glanced back. "We will discuss the details later. For now, you need food. All of you. Recovery requires fuel."
Jin blinked. "You cook?"
"I sustain. Don't expect artistry."
Joe stage-whispered to Jin: "Translation: military rations. Pray for your taste buds."
"I heard that," Salvatore said without turning.
"You were meant to!"
Jin actually laughed.
Immediately regretted it as pain lanced through his ribs, but the laugh escaped anyway—genuine and unbidden.
Rudy grinned. "Oh man, you should see your face when you laugh. Like someone's stabbing you."
"Someone DID stab me," Jin protested. "Repeatedly. I have wounds to prove it."
"Yeah, because you went—"
"If you say 'went alone' one more time—"
"WENT ALONE."
Jin grabbed a cushion with his good hand and threw it.
Rudy caught it easily, laughing.
"You're both idiots," Reyana observed from her spot by the window. But her voice had softened. Just slightly.
"Takes one to know one, Reyana." Jin shot back.
This is what a team feels like. What family feels like.
The thought came unbidden, but it felt... right.
For the first time since waking, some of the tension in his chest eased.
But here, surrounded by people who'd waited fifteen hours just to make sure he woke up, it didn't feel quite so heavy.
~~~
Bonus chapters drop when I hit the goal!
? ? ?
?^>?<^ ?
