"Prota!" Leora gasped.

As soon as Hikari had disappeared, so had the magic circles binding the two Mystics, allowing them to move. Unfortunately, this didn't mean anything. The magic circles Hikari had used left no traces, meaning they couldn't be tracked.

However, no more than fifteen minutes later, Prota reappeared, beaten and on the cusp of death.

Thankfully, Leora had some potions on her, and they fed them to the girl, who quickly recovered. Prota immediately panicked upon regaining consciousness, but she was quickly calmed down by the Mystics, who were eager to find out where Hikari had disappeared to.

Unfortunately, she, too, did not know where John had gone, nor did she know how she'd arrived here.

Fortunately, it was unnecessary for them to find the strange boy and the Mystic. Another fifteen or so minutes, and John reappeared as if nothing had happened.

His clothes were a little dusty, but otherwise, he looked fine. Not a scratch on his body. Not a single sign of a fight was visible.

"John!" Prota cried out, but then paused upon seeing his expression.

That look on his face. It didn't look good. That empty look was back in his eyes.

"I won," John said, his voice hollow.

Prota felt a shiver run down her spine. Just what had happened in the moments they'd been separated?

Even the Mystics were cautious. Leora visibly flinched as John turned to her, something that should've never happened. A Mystic should never be afraid of a mortal.

"You two," John said, his voice flat. "How did you know we were here?"

Lupin coughed. "An acquaintance of yours asked us to keep an eye on you."

John frowned. An acquaintance? He didn't have any acquaintances, or at the very least, none who should know Mystics on a personal level.

"Who?"

Leora smiled cautiously. "I believe you are familiar with the current leader of Quaesitor Veritatis. Jinae Rumba. John, I'm… I apologize for not revealing ourselves sooner. We needed to be sure you were the one she spoke of. Had we done so… perhaps this could have been prevented."

"It's fine. We're all alive, and it's done. Hikari is dead. I don't care anymore."

John sighed, looking incredibly annoyed.

"Great, I should've known I wouldn't get away with abusing that name forever," he muttered, kicking at the ground.

Suddenly, he felt something cold at his neck. He raised his gaze to see Lupin's blade pointed at his throat, its wielder staring at John intensely.

"I'm sorry, but I feel the question should be obvious. How, exactly, did you kill Hikari?"

Suddenly, the mood was just as tense as it'd been before. Prota stared at the two worriedly. Would they have to fight yet another Mystic? She wasn't sure how John had beaten Hikari, but he didn't look too good.

"I was stronger," John spoke after a moment, his eyes opening once more as he regained his composure. "Isn't that how fights work?"

"That's- you must excuse me, but I find that somewhat hard to believe," Lupin frowned. "Mystics are capable of levelling entire cities, whole islands, even mountains. And you expect me to believe a manaless boy such as yourself defeated a being even the two of us could not defeat?"

The Mystic looked at John, momentarily flinching. Those eyes. That expression. This wasn't the manaless boy he'd been teaching. This wasn't the boy who could barely keep up. This was someone dangerous.

This was a being they weren't familiar with.

"I was stronger," John repeated. "And I thought you Mystics can't interfere with mortals. What if I abused that knowledge, huh?"

Lupin snarled, his blade lighting up as aura surrounded the cold metal.

"Even so, you should have been no match. We can interfere to a degree, and we may protect our lives. Such an excuse does not work here. If you killed Hikari, you either know something we do not, or you are truly stronger than the two of us combined."

"Your point?"

"If you are a being that threatens the safety of the world, I cannot let you pass. Even if it costs me my life, I must stop you here."

Student and teacher stared at each other, one tense, the other uncaring.

"Lupin," Leora said quietly, touching his shoulder.

The tension in the room broke, as if it were a glass pane shattered by a hammer. Prota, who'd been standing beside John, collapsed, breathing heavily.

Leora shook her head. "You were scaring the girl."

John cast his eyes downward as well. Prota was trembling, and while her expression was as flat as always, her eyes were shaking. He had to remember that she didn't have his mental fortitude.

He'd have to be more careful in the future.

"I thought your little organization was just focused on finding the truth of this world," John sighed. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

[Infinity] was now fully deactivated. If the Mystics wanted to kill him, they could do so easily. He didn't particularly care about these two, meaning his only means of combat was gone.

"What use is the truth if the world is gone?" Leora said calmly. "Yes, we wish to discover more. But the lives of the people that inhabit this world must also be protected."

John shrugged. "Yeah. I guess."

"You… you really killed Hikari Dormier?" Lupin said, slowly sheathing his blade. "I… I apologize, but I find this hard to believe. You are the boy who struggles in my class. The manaless boy. The boy who uses tricks to get by. Yes, your skill with mana was abnormal, but even the strongest of mortals should not be able to contest a Mystic, let alone an empowered one. And you… you did that?"

John frowned, scratching his chin. There wasn't really an excuse he could give here. He couldn't claim that he didn't know what had happened, like he'd done with Doctor. He could just say he didn't know, but people like Lupin and Leora wouldn't accept such an answer.

Well, it was about time his secret got out anyway.

"Fine. How much did Jinae tell you?" John sighed, sitting down.

"She said you were a special being," Leora started. "Not that we knew it was you. She simply told all members that she'd found a boy most interesting. John Quarta. The closest thing to the 'truth' we've had in a long time. At first, we weren't sure if it was you, but…"

John groaned. "Yeah, I guess she wasn't wrong. Great, she went and snitched. Look, I'm thankful you guys showed up, but I've got nothing to say. You should just forget this ever happened. Please."

"You can't just-"

"Lupin," Leora said quietly, blocking him with her arm. "I think it's best if we leave them alone."

The wolf looked at the siblings. One's body had nearly been torn to shreds by a god, and the other was an anomaly they couldn't understand. Both had just been through an incredibly ordeal, mysterious power or not.

"...I understand," Lupin said quietly. He looked at John, his gaze fierce. "But we will have a talk about this. Understood?"

"Yeah, yeah," John muttered, no longer paying attention to them.

The Mystics nodded once more, then vanished, going back to the school they'd suddenly left.

John sighed, sitting down in the ruined hall. This victory felt far emptier than it should've. Prota sat next to him, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Prota, I…"

John didn't know what to say. He'd said something like this before, but he didn't know how to say it now.

She was real to him. More than almost anybody he'd ever met. The mindset that all these things were merely [Characters] was starting to fade. Yes, they were fake. He knew this. But at the same time, they were beings he couldn't control. They were people he could talk with, interact with, people who could argue or agree with him.

He didn't know what to think anymore. But he knew that, this far in, he didn't want to lose Prota. He didn't want to let her go. He'd received such a miracle, such a blessing.

But a blessing could always be a curse.

Zero's tale came to mind. Everything he'd been through so far could be called a blessing or a curse. His knowledge. His [Resets]. His powers. They went both ways.

The same went for Prota. But for his sake, he refused to believe she was a curse. He refused to even humour the possibility that she was a negative aspect of his life. She couldn't be. There was absolutely no way her existence was something like that.

He wanted to tell her. That she mattered, that she was wanted, that she was someone he cherished.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

But he couldn't quite get the words out.

"I-'"

Suddenly, the doors burst open. A dozen city guards ran in, spears at the ready.

"You two! What are you doing here?"

John flinched. Shit, he should've thought of this. They were supposed to get out before they were found out.

"Um, we-"

"Come with us!"

~~~

"...I cannot believe we got arrested," John muttered.

Prota stared at him as they sat in a small jail cell meant to hold criminals until they could be properly investigated. He'd argued, of course, but the fact that he'd been in a destroyed noble's manor didn't speak well for him.

Thankfully, he'd accounted for this. He'd requested for a letter to be sent to Lunaris, but this unfortunately meant that they'd have to stay in the cell until the Elvish king could corroborate John's innocence.

"The food is yucky," Prota muttered as she stared at the meal given to them.

John sighed and pulled out a bag of chips from his pocket dimension. Prota happily began munching on them, leaving her satisfied for the time being.

To be honest, John was somewhat thankful that they were getting this break. So much had happened in the span of a single day. Things had gone fast, slow, fast, slow, and it was making him dizzy.

Draco, turning into a demon. Then, nothing. A normal school year. They'd returned to Vulcan, and then boom, they were fighting through cultists and nobles, which he'd expected, but then a Mystic had shown up out of nowhere.

Seriously. What the fuck was the [Author] thinking here?

John held his head in his hands. He was getting a headache just thinking about it.

A week passed, and they were eventually let out. John was forced to explain his circumstances; the king had simply said that "John was someone who could be trusted" and nothing more.

Haze had been sent to oversee the process. She'd been let in on John's position as someone who was meant to clean up messes involving extenuating situations, which led John to explain everything.

He started by telling the judge to check his records, in which they found that John had been part of the original cultist subjugation team. He explained his role in the situation involving the Town of Beginnings, and then what had happened on Scholaris. He finished by explaining that he'd gone to the manor to investigate for clues, but had stumbled into something far worse.

The whole deal with Hikari remained hidden. John felt no need to expose things that had no need to be exposed. They'd likely never find Hikari's body, and since the only other people who knew about the situation were Lupin, Leora and Prota, nobody would speak.

The explanation tracked. Paired with his backing, they decided that John was to be let go. He left the interrogation cell with Prota, but not before hearing the men inside whispering furiously.

"You seem to have a knack for getting into trouble," Haze said as they made their way to the teleportation gates. "Even more so than my son."

"It's called doing what I want," John sighed. "Look, I wasn't trying to get arrested, ok?"

"But you anticipated it. Or am I wrong?"

John flinched.

"It seems I was right," Haze said with a small smile. "Intelligence is not a trait unique to yourself, you know."

"Yeah? How would I have known I would attack the Wynton household? Riddle me that, then," John said confidently.

"You didn't hide it very well. Destiny told me much of his journey. This involved your… interactions with the Wynton child," Haze explained. "You, in particular, held a strong disdain for Draco Wynton. You were planning on attacking the household anyway, weren't you?"

John's confidence quickly wilted away.

"Do you care?"

Haze shook her head. "It annoys me a little that you thought to use the entire royal Elvish family to your advantage, but then again, you made a fair deal. Besides, it seems like you had your reasons. Interesting reasons, at that. Did you not consider contacting us before going on a rampage?"

John went silent at that. They continued to walk, but he remained deep in thought. He vaguely saw Haze hand Prota a candy, but his eyes were glazed over as he weighed the pros and cons of what he was about to do.

In the end, it was better to tell the truth.

"Hey," he said in a low tone.

He didn't know when he'd get a chance to pass this information along, but for some reason, he felt it was only right that they knew. After all, he'd told the king that he'd watch out for disturbances in the [Plot].

This was a disturbance.

"Hm?" Haze turned to him, slightly confused.

"That fight. I left something out when I gave my report to the guards."

Haze raised an eye. "For what purpose? Is it not in our best interests to fight this threat together?"

"...to be honest, no. Probably best this doesn't go too far, but I made a promise with your king, so… look. Keep this to people you can trust, ok?"

Haze frowned. She didn't know if she wanted to hear this, but… well, if John was trusting her, then what choice did she have?

"There was a Mystic involved."

Haze froze in her tracks.

"We were bailed out by two other Mystics. They were part of a group known as Quaesitor Veritatis. But our opponent was a Mystic."

"How- what-" Haze stuttered, completely stunned.

Her cool and collected demeanour had been completely shattered by a single sentence. A child had just told her that they'd fought a god and survived. No, not even. They'd fought a god and won. Yes, other gods were involved, but the fact that they were here to tell the story was a miracle in itself.

Still, she wasn't a professional for nothing. She quickly recollected herself and continued walking, her face hiding her shocked state of mind.

"All I'm saying is, thing aren't as simple as they seem. The world might go to shit soon. So be ready."

Haze nodded. "Thank you."

At that, a small smile once again formed on her lips. John frowned, a little worried.

"What? What's so funny now?" he grumbled.

"Nothing. It is just that… you do not act your age," she said. "I have known this for a while, but speaking with you fills me with a sense of confusion. I merely found the fact amusing."

"Great," John muttered.

Soon, they arrived at the teleportation gates, where they would now split ways. John meant to stay around for a few more days, so he had simply walked Haze to the gates to say goodbye.

"Thanks, by the way," John said as she prepared to leave. "It's good to know you guys didn't leave me hanging."

"Of course," Haze said, nodding. "You may not be the ideal ally, but you are considered a friend. You have stated that you will come to our aid. It is only right that we do the same."

John flinched, his usual, careless air vanishing for a moment.

"You are considered a friend."

He smiled.

"Thanks. I'll see you around."

~~~

John sighed as he collapsed back in their room. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

He'd gone back and found all the adventurers, explaining that the job was done. They'd shared a few drinks, a few stories and a few laughs before John told them he'd be leaving.

They were disappointed, of course, but there was nothing they could do about it. After all, they had their lives to live. John was a student at Scholaris now, and he had things to do other than run a bar.

Knowing that he was alive and safe was enough for his former companions.

"Don't hesitate to give us a call if you need help," Gorm said, putting a meaty hand on John's shoulder. "It may be fate that brought us together, but we are the ones who chose to leave as friends."

John nodded, feeling a little uneasy about that line. Regardless, they were all safe. They hadn't been implicated in the crime of committing treason, and so they'd continue their lives as normal.

It was still strange to think that all this had happened in the span of a few days. John was almost considering going on that vacation with Destiny, but then realized that doing so would just be more work. He didn't want to get involved in yet another [Plotline]. No, it was best to just kick back and rest.

Eventually, he and Prota went back to Scholaris. There was really nothing else to do. Technically, they could go adventuring with their licenses, maybe even go back to the Town of Beginnings and visit some old friends. John, however, had his fill of revisiting old memories. He'd never admit it, but he'd been growing accustomed to the peaceful life, and he was starting to enjoy the slow lull of just attending school and having fun.

That would come to an end soon, though. The fight with Hikari had been a wake-up call, and in more ways than one.

The most important takeaway here was that nothing was guaranteed. Hikari's appearance had been a bit of a jumpscare for him, and he wasn't sure that he could continue to deal with surprises like this one. Mystics were strong. He was weak. That much would remain true.

He couldn't rely on getting upset to activate [Infinity] all the time. He couldn't even rely on the pills anymore. Zero acted like he was ok with being sent out, but there was no way he was comfortable with being sent back to the real world for a few moments at a time. John didn't even know what that was supposed to be like.

Moreover, Prota wouldn't continue to survive by the skin of her teeth. At some point, she'd either die for real, or he'd get used to her being injured so much that he simply wouldn't get upset anymore. Either way, they'd be screwed.

So what now? The summer days flew by, but that nagging thought remained in the back of his mind, occasionally reminding him that something needed to change.

He wasn't the invincible, undefeatable John he once was. He'd obtained companions, but that also meant that he could lose them.

That realization came to him one late summer night. It was maybe four in the morning, and he was still awake, sitting on a bench near the beach, sipping at some kind of drink. The wind carried the smell of seawater, the sound of waves crashing filling his ears. The stars sparkled overhead, the moon's light reflecting on the ocean's surface.

"Was it worth it, John?" Zero said, popping out and sitting next to his physical body.

John frowned. "Was what worth it?"

"Your friends. Are they worth it?"

John remained silent. Zero just sighed.

"You can't have everything you want, John. That's not how life works. You had powers, but at the cost of loneliness. At the cost of standing in a world nobody else could enter. But now that you have things to protect, you're realizing that you can't protect them all the time. Your powers were meant to protect you and you alone."

"...what?"

"Think about it. Your abilities as a [Character], they exist to destroy. [Infinity] is ultimately an ability that exists purely for combat. Yes, at a certain degree, you're basically a god, but think about it. It lifts restrictions, but you still lack two things: durability and the ability to heal. You can't take hits for others. You can't heal others. Your powers exist to eliminate threats. John. Admit it. You can't protect everyone. That's just not how this works."

"That's bullshit!" John lashed out. "What's the point? Why? I thought the [Author] wanted me to bond with [Characters], so why are they constantly fucking me in the ass?"

Zero just shrugged. "I don't know, man. The point of the journey is to find that out, isn't it?"

John just sighed, leaning back as he stared into the sky.

"Great. Wonderful."

"But… your thoughts earlier weren't too bad."

John frowned. "What?"

"Your thoughts about Prota. You really should cherish her. People aren't tools, you know. They can be lost, just like that. Another day spent with loved ones is never guaranteed. If you want to explain that, tell her just who you are, for real this time… you know, that wouldn't be that bad."

John flipped his hood over his head, hiding his eyes. Soul and body sat in silence for a little while, listening to the sound of water crashing against sand.

"...can you do me a favour, then?" John said quietly.

"Sure."

"Give me a little privacy. I don't know what parts of the [Story] the [Author] has been showing, but this part… you know. Can you guarantee that?"

Zero smiled.

"Of course."

~~~

Sofya Orhein stared at the door as Lupin Wolfhound and Leora Dawn left the room. She pressed her lips together, tapping her fingers on her desk.

"Yelena," she said quietly. "What do you think?"

"I do not know," the unicorn said, sighing. "This is most troubling. I know there have been signs of change as of recently, but this… this is too much. None of our professors were meant to have a bias toward anyone. We are all here to raise the next generation of mortals and lead them to their full potential, are we not?"

"That is so," Sofya nodded. "And I talked to each Mystic individually before letting them in. Granted, it has been some centuries since I've done this, but… still, what could possibly have made such a drastic change?"

"A daughter," Yelena sighed. "I… I knew of this. Hikari came to me for help, but there was nothing I could do. She died of black disease."

"Black disease." Sofya closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "I see."

"If anything, that is what drove Hikari to madness. I know not what lured him to the side of the demons, but it is the only thing I can think of. Unless… no, that is not possible. Hikari has been alive since the last demon invasion. As were you," Yelena added.

"Ah, but you were not," Sofya smiled.

Yelena smiled back. "Of course not. But even still, I understand that losing a child can be hard. Um- I apologize."

"No need," Sofya said, shaking her head. "I have told you many times, I have long since come to terms with what happened."

She sat up and took her cup in her hands, taking a sip of the goldenrose tea that was now somewhat cold.

"Still, it is quite the shame. I suppose I'll need to look into seeing if another Mystic is willing to take over the role. Never did I think such a thing would happen…"

"I shall leave you to your work, then," Yelena said, sensing that her friend wished to be alone. "If you ever wish to talk…"

"You will be the first I call, Yelena," Sofya nodded as the unicorn left the room.

She sighed, looking at the papers scattered across her desk once more. There was still one thing bothering her. One thing she hadn't mentioned to Yelena.

"They were hiding something," Sofya whispered, her eyebrows furrowing inward. "They didn't tell me the full story. Was it truly them who killed Hikari…? There is another force at play, I fear."

She stood up from her desk, preparing to head out.

"This power isn't natural. It must come from someone. And if it does… they must be looking for it."

Sofya's blue eyes flashed red for just a moment before a white light began to fill the room.

"I must hurry."

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