AA. 215

“Come in! Come in!” Udit ushered the couple into his apartment. They had washed quickly and changed before rushing to his apartment in the staff building. “Are you hungry?”

“Always,” Nil replied, high-fiving Sam as he entered. 

“You were awesome,” the teenager said, grinning. 

He had grown significantly over the past eighteen months. He had spent two three-month stints on Ashe Fall, which was two years for him in relative time. Sam and Emily had lived three years of their lives while the rest of them had experienced only half the time. By Nil’s estimate, his baby cousin was close to eighteen, and Emmy was approaching twenty. Ascensions and cultivation made them look full of life and at their physical peak. It wouldn’t surprise him if the pair had more growing in their future. 

“The Scourge didn’t even have a chance.”

“Imagine if we pulled out all our cards,” Selia said. “Spirit companions would’ve made that a breeze, but it's best if we hold onto that for longer.”

“I hope Meatball will be done with whatever she’s doing before the finals.” Nil followed his father into the kitchen while Sam and Selia poured drinks and conversed in the living room. Udit had three pans on the stove and a messy chopping board with three separate piles of unevenly chopped vegetables. Nil got to work straight away, chopping and assisting. “Those two get along well, don’t they?”

“She fits in with us perfectly,” Udit commented, crushing freshly toasted spices in a pestle and mortar. Nil’s enhanced senses detected excess cardamom and clove but kept his opinion to himself. His father cooked for his family because he loved doing so. The man didn’t need to be perfect. “Emmy worships her. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Selia, but I would’ve preferred a role model who isn’t battle-obsessed like you or who is so active in Apocalypse Arena.

“But, she makes you happy, cares about everyone here, and makes a genuine effort.” Udit paused, glancing between the doorway and his son. “I don’t know what you were thinking with Katherine. She was sweet, but that wasn’t real, and half the time, you didn’t seem happy. It was almost as if you two were with each other to avoid being alone. Selia and you feel real. You seem content. Have you thought about the next steps?”

“No.” Nil laughed. “Selia and I have touched on the topic, and we’re committed to each other with no plans of parting ways. ‘Next steps’ don’t feel like a priority or urgent.” 

“Why not?” Udit frowned, spicing the pot. “Don’t you think marriage, maybe a child or two, isn’t worth your time?”

“Each realm increases our life spans and slows aging. If we continue at our current rate, we might achieve immortality before our body reaches its thirties. And that’s without Ascension Tokens. I—both of us—want to grow strong enough so nothing can threaten us or the people we love before anything more. I know you want—”

“What I want isn’t important,” Udit interrupted. “Sure, I’d like to see you married and starting a family before I go. But this isn’t about me. I don’t want the pursuit of power and making everyone stronger to be your sole purpose in life. There is a lot of joy in marriage and family, especially if it's with someone you can foresee spending the rest of your life with.”

“Are you asking if Selia is that person?”

Udit only nodded.

“I think she is.” Nil sighed. “No. I’m pretty sure. It's just not the right time, Baba. We need to solve this thing with the Wilsons or meet the requirements to move all of us to a Control World. It's in the cards.”

“Just not yet,” Udit said, completing the thought. “That’s good enough, I suppose. Just ensure your partner always feels treasured and valued. Talk about these things so you’re on the same page.” He laughed, returning his attention to the sizzling pan of okra and shrimp. “I’m sorry. The last thing you want is to be lectured after a match.”

“It’s okay, Baba. I get it. The arena stresses you out.” Nil peeked out of the kitchen. Sam and Selia were still busy with their conversation, occasionally checking the screen. “We need to talk about Sammy.”

“I’ve made my decision. He needs time with the family, not magic, cultivation, boarding school, or whatever it is.”

“You don’t get how big an opportunity this is,” Nil protested. “It's not just any Control World that wants Sammy but one of the oldest, best, and most stable. He can potentially become a Silver Realm cultivator without ever stepping into the arena before he is twenty-one in relative time. The greater multiverse wants him and not just as a soldier like the rest of us.”

“I get all of that, Sunil,” Udit said. “This time, it is also about me. Give me a little more time. I promised to see him through adulthood, and I intend to do just that. You and Emily, I needed to let go eventually and somewhat have. But Sammy is my little guy. I know he’s unhappy, but I’d like him to finish school here first. Then, he’s free to do whatever he wants.

“Emily finished her final two years, and now she can do whatever she wants. Sammy can do the same. Three years away from home is way too much. I know he can get work anywhere afterward, even if he doesn’t serve the Nexus, but I want him capable of building a life here on Earth, too.” Udit paused, glancing at the doorway again. His volume had increased, but, fortunately, so had Selia and Sammy’s. “I know I’m not being pragmatic here, but give me this.”

“I’ll leave it alone for now.” Nil sighed. “But you need to reconsider. Maybe I can get Layla to take you on a little trip to Ashe Fall. Maybe it will help you understand why I’m pushing so hard.” He paused. “Would you reconsider if you were allowed to go with Sammy? Either to check it out for yourself or do some Nexus work and stay during his—”

“I don’t know.” Udit cut Nil off, slamming the pestle and mortar down on the counter. He sealed the pressure cooker. “I’m stressed enough already. Can we talk about this tomorrow? Please.”

“I’m sorry, Baba.”

“She’s out of the rest area!” Sam called from the living room. Father and son ensured nothing would boil over or burn before rushing out of the kitchen. They planted themselves in front of the television, breaths held.

Emily had accompanied Sammy during his time on Onyx Dragon Mountain, enjoying three years of training time over the past eighteen months. Quests and several arena events punctuated the cultivation and intense training. Nil couldn’t help but feel proud as he watched the woman leading the Forge’s representatives in the year’s Cleansing. 

Five of the eight remained. Three had strategically surrendered earlier in the vent to eliminate opponents and acquire points. Now, the remaining fighters were rushing toward the final gate challenge. Emily rode one of her newer speedy summons, and Lily stuck close to her, acting as her bodyguard.

“Emmy looks tired,” Udit said, unblinkingly studying his daughter on the screen. Lily, in her giant stone armor, blocked incoming attacks while Emily worked her magic, and a giant creature of stone, plant matter, and water slowly grew out of the ground.

“Taking out entire armies does that,” Sam commented.

“Unnecessary risks.” Udit’s attention didn’t move from the screen. His fists clenched as an azure fireball shot toward Emily. 

Lily caught it on her shoulder, and the resulting explosion left parts of the stone armor glowing. Liquid fire splashed past the woman, momentum carrying it toward the summoner but rapidly slowed the closer it got to her. They lost their luminosity, going from blue to yellow to orange and finally landing just short of her, emitting a faint crimson glow. Nil was intimately familiar with the glacial aura and hated facing it. However, its protection and the responsible wooly white stag’s speed made him feel a lot better about her participating in the Cleansing. The complex summon was responsible for her winning the Chase and gaining her Cleansing ticket. 

A creature resembling a Meatball but several times as big charged past Lily, leaving the world trembling with each step. Once it reached the incline, the summon curled into a tight sphere and commenced its downhill journey. Emily yelled a command, and all but one person from the Forge scattered. Nil had played an active part in the competitors’ training and was glad to see them pick strategy over glory. 

The woman kept one of the enemy’s more dangerous combatants locked down until the last second. Then, when it was too late for either of them to avoid the approaching wrecking ball, she surrendered, disappearing in a flash of light. The Scourge Champion perished. 

“They’re not going to make it to the end,” Sam said, tapping his foot anxiously on the floor. He looked to Nil for reassurance. “Are they?”

“No,” Nil answered honestly. “Lily has been forced to use far too many powerful summons and spells. She’s too worn out, and I expect her to surrender before the next gate. But victory isn’t the most important thing here. You know what’s more important than us winning?”

“The Scourge losing.” Sam sighed. He didn’t sound pleased about the thought. 

“Exactly. As long as the winner isn’t aligned with the Scourge and works in the interest of the Nexus or Control Worlds, it is a net positive. Besides, we don’t have to worry about any of those scary ones in the Labirynth.”

“I suppose.”

It was as Nil predicted. The Forge Team defeated the final Scourge World, but it cost them two more members. None of them got into fatal situations or suffered injuries; instead, they lured the opponent into no-escape situations before surrendering. Only Lily and Emily stood in the end and refused to surrender. The last remaining Scourge Champion rapidly closed in on them, surrounded by an army of Cursed Ones and Cursed Beasts. Only the natural bottleneck kept them from getting overwhelmed. 

After several missions under Nil’s supervision and countless Bronze Arena matches, Lily and Emily knew how to work together. In fact, Nil believed they had better coordination than he and Selia. The couple communicated and functioned well together, but their styles couldn’t be more different. Most of their strategies involved Nil going in and getting the enemy’s attention, and Selia isolating long-range attackers to take them out swiftly.

Meanwhile, Lily and Emily fought almost shoulder to shoulder. The giant stag bounced around Lily’s titanic, crystal, and stone-clad form, thrusting its giant pale antlers through openings and gouging beasts that attempted to break through. The rolling Earth-Drake-like summon continued rolling through the rest of the forces, whittling down numbers. Meanwhile, Emily continued casting her spell, sitting on her stag’s back. Her soul weapon, a staff made of twisted ashen wood, pulsed. Magic flowed from her hands, through the weapon, and collected in the stone at the top.

Everyone held their breaths as the Scourge’s forces closed in on the duo. All of Emily’s summons except her mount fell one at a time. A grand elemental explosion or effect matching their elemental constituent affected their immediate vicinity. The blast radius was small but devastating. Shards burst from the drake's body, ripping through all they touched. Violent plant life exploded from them moments later, entangling any beast or Cursed One that dared to pass by.

“What is she waiting for?” Baba asked, glancing away from the screen at Nil. “She never takes this long.”

“I don’t think she’s ever channeled a summon this powerful through her soul weapon before,” Nil commented. “The question is, will she get it done in time, or will Lily be forced to abandon the spell and put in all that effort for nothing?”

Much to everyone’s relief, Emily finished her casting. Instead of summoning another beast, the staff turned all the gathered energy into a powerful spell. Clouds gathered overhead, and darkness intensified. Winds picked up, buffetting clothing, and the beasts downhill from them struggled against the gales. Then, the lightning storm began. Each strike burned something to a crisp. The Scourge Champion ran for cover, attempting to pull off a spell of his own, but didn’t get far. A panicking Cursed One knocked him prone. Another trampled his legs. Finally, a bolt of lightning took him out.

The announcer declared the Scourge team eliminated, and Team Forge didn’t stick around for long. Emily appeared pale and on the verge of collapse. Lily’s movements had also slowed. There were far too many Cursed Ones and beasts surrounding them. The pair surrendered, coming in fourth.