In the world of nightmares, the oasis protects me. In it, the tower that gave me access to this floor had become a luxurious house. The plain became a beautiful field, and the dark sky filled with stars. Because of the elven blood, my ears became sharp, my sclera blackened, and my body lengthened. They said that the faeric arm helped adapt my body, but I needed a lot of care to stabilize myself. The side effects came with the weeks, and they still haven't stopped.

  Unfortunately, none of this gives me an advantage. Every racial trait I possess has been overwritten by demonic blood. Sometimes there is a corruption of ancestry. For someone with no connections or who never cared about them, having a lot of mana was my result.

  I still feel dizzy and need care, especially since I can't regenerate. Alright. I feel a little safer.

  On this floor, however, I am surrounded by something far less pleasant than confidence.

  Giants wander with blindfolds. Obelisks scream in deafening buzzes and clangs, causing them to wander in eternal and pathetic indecision. They do not have tongues, and their moans are lost in the black light of the sky. The sun shines, but the moon that should show the way to it spins back and forth.

  What is this…?

  “Weird.” Morgana says. The fairy stands next to me, watching the new floor. “The lesson of this floor is hard to contemplate. I assume, however, that it is better than dying infinitely.”

  “Satisfied? All that talk of not trusting you and not letting you in here is going to end.”

  “You underestimate me. I'll find something else to bother you about.”

  “… I'm starting to think I should have chosen to become a priest.”

  Morgan laughed. “I would still follow you, just for triviality.” The fairy hid her mouth to hold back a laugh. “And you wouldn't be able to become a priest if you stayed by my side.”

  “What the hell do you mean?!”

  Morgana sat with her back to the outside and bathed her legs in the water in the lake. “Thank you for remembering my home.”

  “… I thought I wouldn't want to see that again.”

  “To assume that I hate what I once loved is to admit defeat. The only difference between my old and new self is coldness.”

  “… Your sister…”

  “Ilisium.”

  I sit next to the Fairy and soak my legs in the water.

  “What happened?”

  “… Humans of Praelior crossed the veil between the worlds and sought help from the courts. They were looking for a form of peace, an alliance, so that we could both prosper. But the antedeluvian corruption that the Demiurge caused had been done long ago. The mind of the court had already been corrupted. My sister saved them from the savagery of this world, but the court did not have the same kindness.”

  “I see. You helped them.”

  “I helped my sister. I helped the idea of a better world. I don't know how humanity is today, but I knew that one day they would rise again to fulfill their destiny. I figured I could be part of that story. Oberon was sealed. The Queens descended into insanity. For a moment, I thought it could redeem us.”

  She stares me. “You saw it, didn't you? Memories of Hilda. Who was it? What was the devil that corrupted your mind?”

  “Hilda called me a name. Andreas. I believe he was a possessed man who carried with him the demon of death. She decomposed using necromancy, and without the Queen, Hilda was helpless and sought the Demon again.”

  Morgana returned to the lake. “… I see.”

  “… Hey, Morgana. I'm strong, aren't I?”

  “Absurdly.”

  “And even then, I have only recently become stronger than Aldwyn, and I could not defeat Hilda alone.”

  “The creatures you faced are old and experienced. You are now fifteen. Congratulations again.”

  “We will begin to face more powerful things. Hoffstein will be forced to release his own label and stop holding on. Because of this, The Lion will also have more power, and the strength that already surpasses me will become even greater. I never thought I'd say that, but I think I'll stay behind.”

  “Don't worry. Its evolution has been grandiose, even with little. The lack of deadly challenges may be lacking, but in Solace, there will be no distractions. Quality materials, real teachers.” She gets up and surrounds me. “More importantly, you will have me.”

  “… I don't want you to end up like them.”

  “I will cut my neck before you give me this heartbreak.”

  “So it will end the same way.”

  “Don't cry for me. I play a good role for humanity.”

  “You can do this without ending in tragedy.”

  “We can sweeten the ending a little. A romance, perhaps?”

  “And die for a woman? No, thanks.”

  “Hmpf! So I'm not good enough?!”

  “There are better temptations.”

  “And yet, you are by my side.”

  “And I intend to continue like this. Preferably, without having to stop you from doing something stupid. I was already dragging you to Solace, I can do it again until your head gains some semblance of judgment.”

  The fairy squeezed me. “Like a caveman?”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “Don't.”

  “Oh, you got boring.” She slapped my ear. “I didn't know humans lost their sense of humor at the age of fifteen.”

  “Maybe I'll be funnier when I'm a decrepit like you.”

  Morgana pushes me into the water.

  “Oh, what happened, Sieghart? Your heart was beating so fast near me that I had to cool you down a bit…”

  “Using that against me, huh? It's a pity, you were mistaken. I would never fall in love with a hag like you.”

  Morgana frowned.

  Shit.

  The fairy throws herself into the water and swims behind me. Naturally, I run away.

  “Sieghart, dear! Come here!” She says with a murderous smile.

  “Sorry! Sorry! Stop! IT WAS A JOKE!”

  She swims faster, and her hands move closer. Unfortunately for her, it's my time to be petty.

  I wake up.

  I laugh at my own trickery. Morgana walks through my bedroom wall carrying a stick to hit me, but I burn it before she can. I hold two of the fairy's arms, but she has an additional pair that she uses to squeeze me.

  “Get out! You who started it!” I say.

  “Who is the hag, huh?! Repeat!”

  “SHUT UP!” Cloud shouted from the other room. “IT'S SIX O'CLOCK!”

  “Now you woke me up!” Nia screamed.

  Morgana shrugged. “Better than they think, it was us making noise. Fighting, that is.”

  “… No need to specify…”

  Morgana smiled as if she had won some argument. “Well, well, ashamed? I guess I'm not that horrendous…”

  I'm going to kill this woman.

  “GOOD MORNING!” Hoffstein screamed and stopped us from going back to sleep. “COME AND SEE: SOLACE!”

  Well, there's no reason to go back to sleep now. I get up and change my clothes, then run to the front door of the mobile home we set up on top of a flying turtle.

  On the other side, the sun pierces the white clouds and colors the blue horizon with the pleasant gilding of the morning. Its color does not spread, but still blesses the terrain below, an island surrounded by the ocean. High rocks protect the island from boats, green grass stretches across a gigantic plain. A single mountain is visible, a cliff, where a giant sword pierces a skeleton propped against its side.

  At the end of what I can see, Solace stretches. Cut off from civilization, it is surrounded by the mists in magnificent glory. Grandiose arches made by gold, colored walls like stained-glass, solid structure like steel. A giant religious academy, with numerous fields and symbols, adorning the structure.

  The flying turtle lands on the ground of the island, but does not get very close. We descend from the animal and observe a man in the middle of the path. Her hair is short and gray, arranged back. He is tall and thin, and wears the black robe of priests to represent his death to the world.

  “What is this…?” He says while staring at me, his voice is deep and harsh.

  “… Good to see you, Magnus. The boy's name is Sieghart.”

  Hoffstein shakes Magnus's hand, but the man looks so shocked that he barely responds to the gesture. “It's him, isn't it? You… You made it.”

  “Yes. That's him.”

  The man nods to himself, then faces Morgana. “And who is…?”

  “Morgana Verchneb.”

  Magnus frowns. “… I assume that this is not a common name in the fairy world.”

  “No.”

  “… I understand. You have gathered extraordinary beings into your team, Hoffstein. What about that family?”

  “Cloud is a human, the other three are elves. They will stay with us to be protected for the time being.”

  “I see. Right.” He returns to the Hero. “Welcome back. All are welcome. Come on, we've got a lot to do.”

  ***

  “Powerful, isn't it?” I say.

  Magnus stares Sieghart and company in the park below. They need to catch up, tell about their adventures. I wish those weren't so terrifying, but that would have to do for now. Magnus takes a sip of his tea and rests his cup on the wooden table.

  The mattress of the chairs are much more comfortable than I remembered. The wind is colder, the sun is warmer, the horizon is bluer. I missed laughing while sitting on the edge of one of the rooms: I haven't had much free time recently.

  “Impossibly. How?”

  I shrug. “I believe that not being his first life should influence the way he evolves. He does not need to discover all the Unknown at first, but to reconstruct what already existed in him. Not that this is easy. In a way, it's even harder, having to deal with your memories and the violence…”

  “What is his output?”

  “For now, I would say half of what I should be able to use.”

  “Before or after maximization and rituals?”

  “Before.”

  Magnus crosses his arms. “50%… Something is not right. Did he have the same mana back at Dufae?”

  “No, his mana grew alongside his output… Well, that would be an understatement.”

  “Is it enough to destroy an entire mount in a single spell. In this academy, he will achieve all the power available in the blink of an eye and multiply his results. I will assume he will be able to level mountains until the Blood Moon. Maybe even more.”

  “Great. The more control he has, the better. When the time comes, he will have our undivided attention until the blood moon passes, but it will also depend on him.”

  “The whole world in the hands of a rebellious teenager. This plan…”

  “It's our only chance.”

  “We could gather all the armies of the world and attack as soon as the Demiurge dares to set foot on earth.”

  “And we would lose.”

  “We are strong. Your ancestor fought the Demiurge by himself.”

  “But the armies of mankind have lost. The flood occurred for a reason. Now, if Sieghart is out of the equation, I will survive the battle and be able to help those who are left.”

  “… Yes. With him out of the equation.”

  “We already talked about this.”

  “I'm not suggesting he is… eliminated. We cannot kill someone without crime, and I doubt the heavens would let us do such an act of barbarity without punishing us. Either way, The Lion will try to find another vessel, and possibly succeed.”

  “Maybe, but he won't be strong enough. And that is why Sieghart should not only not hinder us, but also help.”

  “And how do you plan to raise the army?”

  “I will go to the Empire. I will tell you my plan. If I have to, I will fight their wars yet again, and I will open the gates.”

  “… Will you let the Demiurge regain his power?”

  “It will be inevitable. Hilda was my limit. Anyone stronger than her will force me to use my true power. Not only that… But maybe that's good. Humanity has fallen, Magnus. Their hearts are addicted and complacent. They need to take some fear of the darkness for them to do something about it.”

  “You will throw yourself into a nest of snakes, hoping that one of them will create arms and help you.”

  I shrug and take another sip of my tea. “I'll have to do it anyway. What about the others?”

  “Cloud and Nia are strong for their age, but they won't be able to keep up with him. I think it's better that way. Fewer accidents. About Wander…”

  “Do you think it's better for Wander to stay behind?”

  Magnus nods. “The manifestation of death. Andreas's contact. We must prevent him from following this path at all costs.”

  “Don't you think Sieghart will feel alone with so much power?”

  “Our older students can accompany him… in a way. The teachers, certainly. But he's young. You told me you turned fifteen recently, didn't you? He won't be able to adapt with older people. Which isn't a problem for a demon, anyway.”

  I frown. “He is also human.”

  “… I have a hard time imagining that. I'll worry about his loneliness later. Something that cannot happen, however, is that he has the wrong companies.”

  “You're talking about Morgana.”

  “Yes. Dangerous, very dangerous. I would like to separate her from him, but to do that, we would have to remove the seal… And we don't want another Hilda.”

  “I traveled with the two, and I say separating them is not a good idea. Impressively, she has a good influence on the boy.” I breathe in. “But I admit it's not perfect. I will take care of it calmly later on. I don't want you or anyone else to make a hasty decision about.”

  “You seem to want to protect them.”

  “It's a delicate situation. They can revolt, and are smart. It is not a matter of manipulation, but of tact. Morgana doesn't trust any of you. Being honest, she only trusts me because she knows who I am.”

  “… She knew we would have this problem. She must have manipulated him.”

  “Partially, yes. It is difficult to separate what was purposeful or not. She's a fairy, after all. Still, she seems to want his good, and her help will not harm us. Quite the contrary, recently, Morgana eliminated important targets while I fixed the political landscape of the courts.”

  “You are a man of great faith, Hoffstein. Maybe even too much.”

  Still, Magnus shrugs. It's not the ideal situation, but I'd take it.

  “… I can't believe we're actually doing this.”

  The last sip. With the reconstruction of humanity, fear has settled in the hearts of mortals. At the same time, so have pride. The winds have changed, and what humans find or fail to find no longer matters.

  Wars will begin and end. Monsters will emerge. What we have caused will be remembered, and consequences will branch out. Oberon's return is likely.

  “Get used to it, my friend.” I say and get up.

  “The Age of Men is over. This is the Age of Heroes.”