Yashas punched a code into a hidden keypad recessed at the base of a towering cylindrical skyscraper, taller than most in the city.

  “By the rather impressive maps I have consulted, I believe this district is known as Ginza,” he said. “It seems to be home to many fine shops, several of which I’ve… explored in my spare time.”

  “I’ll bet,” I said with a smirk. I imagined this city must have been a treasure trove for anyone from an ancient civilization like Yashas.

  We’d taken a long, winding route here, aided by my teleports to throw off any possible pursuit.

  For all their strength, the Eldritch Skeleton military faction wasn’t exactly subtle. If they weren’t chasing us with a half-dozen helicopters, tanks, or those damn walkers, it was pretty likely we weren’t being followed.

  Still, Yashas was far more cautious than either Aerion or I, which, given his physical limitations, was probably what had kept him alive this long. Well, that and his seeming omniscient awareness.

  The keypad beeped, and the frosted glass doors slid open. Not into a lobby or a mall, but a narrow hallway ending at a set of thick steel blast doors.

  “This seems to be a residence for either the very wealthy or the very paranoid,” Aerion said.

  “Both, I suspect,” Yashas replied, entering another code. Cameras along the ceiling swiveled toward us, scanning us. “It seems the security system also recognizes my face.”

  “Okay,” I said, eyeing him. “How exactly did you get access to this place? I’m pretty sure Champions from an ancient civilization don’t usually know how to work systems like these.”

  He chuckled. “A fair question. Believe me, I know what you’re thinking.”

  He typed in another code for the steel doors before continuing. “It took me several months just to acclimate to your future world and its strange technology. Several more to learn the layout of this city. I was lucky to happen upon a set of personal effects in another building. They were left behind by one of this tower’s residents. Within a safe, I believe they called it. There, I discovered the access codes and maintenance programming for the building. Evidently, the man feared being locked out. I must admit, I am grateful for his paranoia.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Lucky find.”

  Not to mention how exactly he got through a safe without superhuman strength of any kind.

  “Indeed. Before that, I was forced to move constantly from one shelter to another, always fearful I would be discovered whilst asleep. The reinforced construction of this building allows me a small measure of peace, though I’ve little doubt it would crumble under those war machines’ weaponry.”

  “The tanks and walkers,” Aerion said quietly.

  He nodded. “Yes. So you can understand my caution in approaching this place.”

  “Yeah,” I said as the vault-like door slid open with a heavy hiss. “I’d say it’s plenty warranted.”

  Beyond the steel door lay a pristine foyer of what had once been a luxury residential complex. The well-dressed female receptionist and the professional looking guards were, of course, nowhere in sight, but the tasteful lighting, marble floors, and gold trim all looked as good as new.

  Yashas led us toward one of several elevator bays.

  “I’m just surprised anything’s still running,” I said, before hurriedly adding, “on Axius at least, even the best machinery wouldn't last that long without upkeep.”

  “As was I,” Yashas admitted. “Many buildings are without power. I had foolishly assumed that was the natural state of things until I saw the great lights of these wondrous towers. The concept of electricity that powers your entire civilization truly is a marvel.”

  “You’ve gotten used to it,” Aerion observed. “You don’t sound as surprised as I thought you would be.”

  “Indeed,” he said with a sad smile. “One can only marvel at novelty for so long. I’ve been here over a year now, living as your people do. People, it seems, can grow accustomed to nearly anything. How your technology works, however…” He shook his head. “That remains beyond me. As far as I can tell, it uses no magic at all, yes?”

  “It does not,” Aerion said. “There’s no magic where I come from. Not in the real sense. It's the same world as yours, after all.”

  Might as well have been another planet for all the similarity, though. A lot of people back then did believe in magic. Something I hadn't gotten around to mentioning to Aerion.

  “Incredible,” Yashas murmured, ushering us into the elevator.

  The interior was as sleek and luxurious as one would expect from a place built for the ultra rich. Polished wood panels, chrome trim, and soft lighting that somehow looked opulent without coming across as gaudy. The sort of place whose designer charged more than I’d ever earn in ten lifetimes.

  I bet you had to be of a certain status just to even see pictures of the inside.

  The windowless elevator rose smoothly, and as the numbers climbed, I realized where we were headed.

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  “Let me guess,” I said as the counter kept speeding upward. “Top floor?”

  “The top two, in fact,” Yashas smiled mysteriously. “Though not originally. My benefactor lived several floors below, but when I rebooted the building’s systems, I was granted full administrative privileges. So, I thought, why not choose the best?”

  I chuckled. “Can’t argue with that.”

  When the doors opened, even my expectations weren’t ready for what lay beyond.

  A massive open marble foyer led into a grand circular room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that wrapped around the entire floor, giving us a breathtaking 360-degree view of Tokyo. The city’s uncountable lights stretched to the horizon in all directions like veins.

  “Welcome to my humble abode,” Yashas said with a grin, sweeping an arm across the space. “Make yourselves at home. There are multiple guest rooms on the first floor. Please choose whichever you like. As for amenities, I believe you’ll find them quite satisfactory.”

  He pointed down a hallway lined with open doors. “There are hot showers, the most comfortable beds I’ve ever used, and—” he gave a small, proud smile, “—running sewage.”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “True luxury right there.”

  “Indeed. Though my personal favorite is the large bath facility on the first floor. I invite you to help yourselves. There are several living spaces on both floors, though I fancy the second floor myself. Please, do treat this as your own home. I’ve no more claim to this place than any other.”

  There was a genuineness to his voice that stuck with me, and I found myself muttering a ‘thank you’ for the both of us.

  Because Aerion? Aerion just stared out the window, awestruck.

  I could hardly blame her. For the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself actually relax. Even the mall from before, while somewhat relaxing, had zombies. Knowing we were finally in a truly secure space did wonders for the mind.

  “The kitchen even boasts a wondrous mechanism capable of cooking food entirely on its own,” Yashas said, gesturing toward a sleek modern kitchen built against the circular interior wall. Sure enough, it was decorated with several robot arms.

  “Oh, those,” Aerion muttered, recognizing them from the mall. “Robotic food assemblers.”

  I’d thought those things were still in testing when—well, before all this. But I supposed the ultra-rich had always been the first to get their hands on stuff like this. I didn’t even want to guess what one of them cost. I wasn’t going to complain, though. They sure as hell beat prepping meals ourselves.

  “Impressive,” I admitted.

  “As for what comes next,” Yashas said, “we can reconvene after you’ve rested. There is no rush.”

  He gestured down a hall lined with guest suites. Aerion and I checked them all before picking the one with the best view—floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across Tokyo’s skyline. It wasn’t the biggest, but it was easily the most breathtaking.

  “Gotta hand it to him,” I said as we stepped inside. “Could’ve picked worse digs for a home base.”

  “I can scarcely believe such abodes exist in your world,” Aerion said, running her hand along the polished stone wall. It was semi-transparent and lit from behind, making it look like the golden veins running through it glowed.

  “Yeah, well…” I pressed a finger to my lips, glancing around. I scanned for cameras or listening devices but found none. That didn’t mean there weren’t any—modern security gear could be smaller than a coin, hidden in walls or furniture.

  Leaning close, I whispered, “Let’s stay alert, yeah? Even here. Just in case.”

  Aerion nodded subtly. “Then I suggest we use the facilities and freshen up,” she said, not missing a beat. “After that, we’ll discuss our next move.”

  “As you wish,” I said, playing the part of the dutiful companion. Not that I’d been doing a great job of that lately. If Yashas was half as perceptive as he seemed, he probably already suspected something was off. But at this point, I wasn’t sure it mattered. Worst case, we could just say we had… a special relationship. He’d get what that meant, and it wasn’t exactly a lie, anyway.

  I couldn’t resist checking out the bath he mentioned, and sure enough, I was not disappointed.

  The damn thing was bigger than my entire apartment back home. Practically a private onsen, it featured several natural stone pools with waterfalls, carefully curated plants, and a row of sit-down bathing stalls.

  The whole thing had been built to make it feel like you’d stepped into a steaming, humid jungle.

  “Luxury, apocalypse edition,” I muttered under my breath.

  And of course, the attached bathrooms had those Japanese toilets with a full control panel. A dozen buttons all to control the bidet and heat. All of it in Japanese, which I couldn’t read.

  My translation bauble handled speech just fine, but I was just as illiterate as the day I arrived on Axius.

  After soaking together for almost an hour and sampling every pool and amenity the bath had to offer, Aerion and I returned to our room feeling reborn.

  Sleep sounded amazing, but we both knew better than to crash just yet. We needed to at least humor our host and figure out what came next. The night was still dark, and there would be plenty of time to sleep later.

  We got dressed and wandered through the massive penthouse—large even by American standards—until the faint sound of music led us upstairs. A spiral staircase curved around the large central wall that spanned the height of the suite, leading up to a loft balcony overlooking the first floor.

  And there he was, standing hunched over a pool table, lining up a shot.

  The view behind him was even better from up here, with the first floor visible under us and Tokyo’s city lights in the background. I could see why he liked the space.

  “Oh! I admit, I was not expecting you so soon,” he said, sinking a ball with a satisfying thunk. “Forgive me. I’ve taken quite a liking to this game of your world. It’s surprisingly similar to one from my home.”

  He glanced at Aerion with a smile. “I suppose we all long for the familiar when faced with the unknown.”

  “I can only imagine,” she said. “Though Axius must feel closer to your homeland than this place, I’m sure.”

  “But of course,” Yashas said, setting his cue aside and glancing at me. “Adjusting to Axius was a far easier process. Aside from the magic of your realm, there was much I could relate to. But this?” He gestured around him. “This is something else entirely.”

  The Champion suddenly turned to face me, and his expression told me there was more to his words than simple wonder. “I imagine you must feel similarly, Greg?”

  “I’ll say. It’s genuinely incredible.”

  “Strange, then, that you are not more amazed. I’ve had a year to accustom myself to this wondrous place, but you…”

  I shrugged, playing it cool. “Aerion’s told me all about her world, so it doesn’t come as quite as much of a shock. Even still… It’s another thing entirely to see it firsthand.”

  “Ah,” Yashas said, nodding and looking satisfied. “Yes, I imagine that would explain it.”

  Sheesh. This guy was too astute.

  “Come,” he said, setting his cue down and motioning toward the balcony bar. “There is much to discuss—and what better way to do it than over a fine drink? These,” he said, patting the counter lined with bottles, “are unlike anything you’ll find on Axius, I assure you.”

  “Oh really?” I said, my grin spreading despite Aerion’s scathing glare. “Now you’ve got my attention. Do tell me more.”

  Eyes full of amusement, Yashas brought out three glasses and a bottle of very expensive Japanese Whiskey that looked delicious indeed.

  I licked my lips, ignoring Aerion’s obvious disapproval. Some things in life were just too good to pass up. No matter the cost.