Cinder’s room was exactly as I remembered it from my previous visit–violet walls covered in band posters, random things scattered about, and a large bed with dark sheets.

  "So," she said, closing the door behind us. "You really straight up told everyone everything, and it somehow worked out, huh?"

  "Was there ever any doubt?" I asked, watching as she marched over to the corner and grabbed her electric guitar.

  "Ehh," Cinder strummed a few chords on her guitar. "I honestly thought dad was going to throw you out or strangle you when you mentioned the four Omnicorps. It was a good thing that mom stepped in."

  "Your mom definitely helped," I smiled, settling onto her bed. "She's quite the powerhouse when she wants to be."

  "Yeah," Cinder's feathers shifted through violets fading to dark reds. "Haven't seen her Phase-Shift that tall in like... ever."

  “Plus your sister helped a lot,” I added. “We need to talk to her.”

  “Lenny?” Cinder asked as she settled on her bed next to me, guitar in her lap, and began strumming. “Why?”

  “She figured out lots of things through Scrutimancy,” I explained. “Since it's one of my skills, I know how it works too. You gotta start treating her like an adult, Ci. We should tell her everything.”

  “Everything, hum?” Cinder murmured.

  “If we don’t, she’ll sniff it out regardless. She's actually quite helpful, clever and sweet behind her blunt jokes,” I said. “She's probably well aware that I'm not a proper Omnid.”

  “Fine,” Cinder said. “I had a long chat with mom while dad interrogated you. Helped her with the dishes too.”

  “What’d you talk about?”

  “Umm…” Cinder flushed with warm colors. “That I found… a man that I’d like to become Hearth Keeper for.

  "And what did she say to that?" I asked, feeling a fluttering warmth in my chest at her words.

  Cinder set her guitar aside. "She taught me some stuff. About what being a Hearth Keeper actually means." She tucked her legs beneath her on the bed. "It's not just a title, you know. There are responsibilities, traditions."

  "Like what?"

  "Like how to maintain the balance of a household. How to protect your Slayer and Prima sword without outright controlling them with my Charmchain wings and Quetzi voice." Her eyes met mine with unexpected vulnerability. "I also told her that I'm more... in control now. Of my feelings and my powers. That I’m singing again… she was glad to hear that.”

  "You told her about the Outsider?" I asked.

  "Not directly," Cinder shook her feathery mane. "Just that I had been affected by a memetic that was affecting my judgment, and that you and Vee helped me deal with it, unlike Em who was just encouraging me to be more hostile. Mom understood without needing much details… I think. I apologized to her for pushing the whole Kaleid thing so hard and told her that I love her and that I want a family now… a Hearth of my own. I told her that you bought me a farm on Arx.”

  “Ah,” I said. "Were you actually shocked by what I told your parents?"

  “Pff,” Cinder snorted. "Not that shocked. After everything I've seen you do? Demolish Undertown? Make a crystal tower? Turn a prison into your personal castle? Befriend a predatory Megalodon?" She nudged me with her wing. "Though watching dad's face was pretty entertaining. I’ve never seen him so befuddled.”

  "What does your mom really think about all this?" I asked, more serious now. "About me?"

  Cinder's expression softened. "She says you're on a trial period." Her claws gently traced patterns on my arm. "So you better be good to me."

  "Define 'good,'" I replied.

  "You know, marriage is a pretty important decision,” she said. “It doesn't bode well for a relationship if there isn't open communication."

  “We’re communicating right now,” I pointed out.

  “It’s a start,” she smiled. “Still… you’re so…”

  "Pushy?” I guessed with a deep inhale of Scrutimancy. “I pushed you into this, didn't I? Into all of it."

  "Yes," she said simply, but there was no accusation in her tone. "You did."

  "I don't regret it," I admitted, meeting her eyes. "I see opportunities, connections, possibilities and I act on them. Sometimes that means I move faster than people are comfortable with. It’s just who I am.”

  Instead of pulling away, Cinder surprised me by leaning closer. "I know. And weirdly, that's part of why I..." She paused, seeming to search for the right words. "Part of why I chose you. You're decisive. You make things happen."

  "Even when those things are completely insane?" I asked with a small smile.

  "Especially then," she replied. "Look, I'm not exactly the poster child for stability myself. But if we're going to do this—really do this—we need to be a team."

  “We are a team. Always have been,” I reached out and took her hand, feeling the warmth of her scales against mine. "I promise to include you in all my future schemes."

  Cinder laughed, feathers exploding into far too many colors. "That's all I ask."

  "And I promise to always take the blame when my schemes blow up in our faces," I added. "Which they inevitably will at some point."

  "They better not," she warned. "I've invested too much in you already."

  I leaned forward, resting my forehead against hers. "Thank you for defending me in front of your father. For standing with me."

  "We're bound now," she said. "You and me and Vee. Where else would I stand?"

  The sincerity in her voice caught me off guard. For all my planning and manipulation, for all my schemes and calculations, I hadn't planned the depths of genuine connection that had formed between us, one that made my chest ache in a way I wasn't entirely comfortable with.

  "You know," I said, "when I first made that ridiculous plan to infiltrate Skyfall, I never imagined I'd end up here."

  "In my bedroom?" Cinder teased, elbowing me.

  "With people who actually care if I live or die," I corrected her. "With you. With Vee. With friends and… family.”

  Her feathers shimmered with waves of undulating emotions as she pulled me closer. "Just don't make me regret it, okay? I've taken some pretty big risks on you, Martin… and I will continue to do so.”

  “Even if I destroy the world on Monday?” I asked, sniffing out the potential future and drawing a complete blank.

  “I really don’t see how you’re gonna do that,” she said.

  “I don’t either,” I shrugged. “And yet my own Scrutimancy tells me that there is nothing ahead.”

  “Maybe that’s just an Ein Sof thing,” she speculated. “An indeterminate future. It doesn’t have to be something bad, right? Just something… different, new, unexpected. Whatever it is, we’re gonna face it together.”

  “Yes,” I said, “probably just a really big Celestorm.”

  “Mm-hmm,” she hummed and picked up her guitar once again. The melody was lovely–something original, not a cover. Her feathers shifted through deep blues and vibrant violets as her fingers danced across the strings.

  "New song?" I asked quietly.

  She nodded, continuing to play. The riff intro-chords ended and then she began to sing.

  “

  Acting lost, looking so unsure,

  Just another nullie with no aura,

  But something made me want to know more.”

  She smiled at me, shaking her head.

  “From that first blue screen moment,

  When my wings made your brain short out,

  To invading all my classes,

  And turning my world inside out.

  You drove me crazy with your questions,

  Made me sing, when I swore I never would,

  Turned my rage into protection,

  Made chaos feel so damn good.”

  She admitted, wings spreading and igniting with an entire rainbow of color.

  “Now we're facing four Omnicorps,

  At our back our crystal tower,

  You've got plans within your plans,

  But I wouldn't trade you for another.

  You say I might be Ein Sof,

  That I'm infinity in disguise,

  But all I know is with you,

  I finally feel alive!

  From that fateful Tuesday,

  To dancing with ancient gods,

  You've made me question everything,

  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

  No, I wouldn't have it any other way!”

  Her smile grew wide as she strummed more confidently.

  “Then Vespera joined our madness,

  Thunder matched to Rainbow's call,

  Three-way soul-bond burning bright,

  Never meant to watch it fall.

  When they took her memories away,

  Left an echo in our hearts to stay,

  But they can't erase what's true,

  'Cus the bond between us only grew.

  Started as your stupid game,

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Manipulation, plots and schemes,

  Now I'm falling, truly falling,

  Beyond my wildest dreams.”

  I smiled back at her as she leaned against me.

  “From that first blue screen moment,

  When my wings made your brain freeze,

  To sharing souls with thunder,

  And bringing gods to their knees.

  Now I know it's real,

  Now I know it's true,

  No more running from these feelings,

  I'm completely lost in you...”

  Her blue eyes struck me as she inhaled deep.

  “You say I might be Ein Sof,

  Dancing through space and time,

  But all I really need to be...

  Is yours, and you be mine…”

  The song ended, the last word stretching out.

  “Wowza,” I said. “A gift of a lovely song. Trying to beat my offer of a farm, huh?”

  “A start,” she murmured.

  Her guitar slipped to the floor with a soft thud and wobble of stings as she lunged. Colorful wings exploded around me, a storm of iridescent feathers that cast radiant rainbows. Before I could brace myself, her claws sank into my shoulders, pinning me down with a force that made the mattress groan.

  “Mine,” she growled, her voice a low, possessive rumble. Then her lips crashed into mine, sharp and hungry, teeth grazing my lower lip as she bit down just hard enough to send a jolt through me.

  “Mine to maul,” she rasped, her breath hot against my skin as she pulled back for a split second, only to dive in again. Her kisses turned into a wild assault—nipping at my jaw, my neck, my collarbone like she was claiming every inch of me.

  I couldn’t think straight—my mind was a scrambled mess, flickering like a glitched screen, dissolving in the ocean of emotions pouring from her wings. She shifted her weight, straddling my hips with a deliberate slowness that made my pulse hammer in my ears. Her tail flicked, brushing against my leg in a teasing sweep before coiling lightly around my ankle, anchoring me beneath her.

  Her lips found my ear, a soft graze of teeth followed by a warm huff of breath that sent shivers racing down my spine.

  “Mine to keep,” she murmured, her voice low and rough, vibrating against my skin as she trailed kisses along the edge of my jaw. One of her hands slid up, fingers threading through my hair, tugging just enough to tilt my head back. She didn’t hesitate—her mouth descended on my throat, a firm press of lips that turned into a gentle scrape of fangs, marking me without breaking skin.

  I tried to move, to regain some control, but she was relentless.

  Her other hand skimmed down my chest, claws tapping lightly against the fabric of my shirt before slipping beneath and running along the layers of hexamesh strands.

  She laughed—a soft, wicked sound—before dragging her fingers upward in a slow, deliberate arc and then pulling off my jacket.

  Her ocean-blue gaze burned with something fierce and unguarded.

  Her face once again dove down, phase-shifting to look more human, and I felt the faint tickle of her breath as she leaned in again.

  “Mine to fight for,” she whispered, her tone softer now, almost reverent.

  Then she rocked forward, her body flush against me, and I was lost in the rhythm of her heartbeat thudding against my chest, the wild energy of her claiming me in every way she knew how.

  . . .

  I gripped Io's fuzzy hand tighter as a dark gate bloomed in front of us.

  First it was just a small circle hovering inside the Warden's office.

  Then the dark circle popped and the phone featuring the frozen frame of 'Day After Tomorrow' appeared.

  The lighter's flame danced between us, mana pouring into our connection as we shaped the portal together.

  The gate expanded slowly, showing off the rest of the massive crystalline room.

  Something blurry flashed into existence behind the widening tear in reality. In another minute, Archmage Ovijus materialized within the frame.

  The elderly crow-man's form seemed to flicker and blur as he slowed time around himself and crossed between the different time streams, his silver staff leaving trails of light in the air.

  "Good ‘morrow, Lord Protector," he smiled when his body stabilized, fully synchronizing with our dimension. "We are ready to receive you! I'm holding the temporal bubble from my end."

  "Arx party!" I barked. "Onwards!"

  The gathered Omnids dressed in gray correctional officer uniforms began marching into the gate. Each one held a massive box in their claws - server towers and more mana-electricity converters bought in various Omnid shops.

  I watched from my position beside Io, maintaining focus on the portal.

  Justice Nova stood nearby, staring at the portal with wide, orange eyes.

  "Quite the operation you have here," he commented. "Truly, I did not expect for you to actually open a gate to Arx."

  "Just the second wave of modern infrastructure deployment," I smiled.

  Cinder hovered protectively near me. She was dressed in her full delving gear, as was I.

  "Shall we, my Lady?" I asked her.

  She nodded.

  Officer Satosh saluted us from where he stood. He was wearing the Warden's cap and would watch over the Island for the day.

  Io and I stepped through the gate together, still channeling power into it. The transition felt like walking through thick syrup, the shift in Aetheric density making my chest throb and my head spin.

  Cinder, Katherine and Mags followed close behind. Justice Nova came after.

  The gate snapped shut and then Archmage Ovijus accelerated time within the bubble to match it to that of Arx.

  Hundreds of people manifested all around us, standing in orderly lines, dressed in lavish, black robes.

  "Lord Protector, now arriving from Earth!" Guild Master Mortrdem announced, his voice echoing through the vast crystalline chamber. "All hail Lord Protector!"

  The assembled staff bowed in perfect unison.

  "Hail Lord Protector!" My crowd of mooks boomed.

  Justice Nova and Magdaline gaped at the spectacle as hundreds of newly purchased mage staffs and Kitlix lit up the crystalline chamber with radiant, jubilant displays, sending colorful magic fireworks into the ceiling.

  "Welcome to the Crystal Horse Citadel," I grinned at the stunned-looking Justice of Cradlefall. "As you can see, our operation here is quite legitimate."

  The Justice's eyes scanned the massive chamber, taking in the transparent, crystalline architecture, the well-dressed mage officers, and the sophisticated magical infrastructure.

  "This is... remarkable," he managed after a pregnant pause.

  "So, how much time did I miss?" I asked the Guildmaster.

  "Thirteen weeks and two days, Lord Protector," Mortrdem bowed. "Everything is proceeding fairly smoothly."

  "Did upworlders attempt any other shenanigans?"

  "They have," the Guild Master smiled at me with a new set of white, polished teeth. The change in his appearance and posture had been quite impressive compared to what he looked like just a few days ago from my perspective. "The mites and the Death Ray dealt with them as before. They tried to gate into different locations of Katsburg, but were repelled quite effectively by Lady Yulia's targeting system."

  "Lovely," I smiled.

  "Is Lady Vespera not with your party?" Mortrdem asked, looking over the gathered Omnids. "We're making good progress on ward installation, but we could use her expertise."

  "Alas," I said with a sigh. "She is currently… indisposed."

  I gestured to Magdaline, who stood tall and proud in her new uniform adorned with the Thunder and Rainbow insignia printed in the prison's workshop.

  "This is Magdaline Satosh, my new Scrutimancer Knight," I announced.

  Magdaline shook hands with Morty, her hand completely dwarfing his.

  "And this... Is Justice Nathaniel Nova," I continued, gesturing to the imposing Dover Demon behind me. "My future... father-in-law."

  "A pleasure, milord," Mortrdem greeted the Omnid with a deep bow.

  Justice Nova nodded stiffly.

  "Shall we begin the tour?" I suggested.

  "Lead on," Justice Nova nodded, trying and failing to appear stoic.

  "Our first stop is the Administrative center," I announced, leading everyone into a vast chamber filled with crystalline desks and busy staff members who were mostly data mages judging by the Infix Kitlix sitting on their shoulders and desks. "As you can see, we've implemented a… ‘completely transparent’ governance system, with all decisions and transactions recorded by my LLM. Start setting up the new server racks here please!”

  The tour continued through various crystal chambers, each more impressive than the last. My mooks had not been wasting time and had implemented many of our plans for the tower. Justice Nova's expression grew increasingly thoughtful as I showed him the refugee housing facilities, the mage training academy, the Katsburg Bank, the trade halls and markets, the medical facilities, etc.

  Finally, we reached the top of the central spire, where the view of Undertown stretched out below us - a dark city engulfed by the snow of mites.

  "Below lies the future city of Katsburg," I said, waving to the view. "Currently it is under renovation. Please excuse the cold of the observation balcony, it's to keep the defence mites out."

  Justice Nova nodded, shivering slightly.

  "Now, would you like to see our farm?" I grinned at him.

  He nodded.

  Upon my order, Master Mortrdem called up a gate mage, who opened a portal straight into the farmhouse.

  The old farmhouse was now absolutely crammed with hired Shandrian Agromancers, many inhabiting temporary garden sheds and tents out in the fields.

  The doors opened into a vastly expanded agricultural operation, the gardens blooming with fruits and vegetables growing in hydroponic stacks and all over the fields.

  Justice Nova stared at the view of Shandria in the distance, watching as Agrilopods moved across the fields, picking fruit.

  "So?" I asked him. "Are you satisfied with our Clan's Citadel?"

  "I… am," Justice Nova admitted, watching as harvesting beasts moved across the fields. "I remember this place from my delving days. That's Shandria over in the distance, correct?"

  "Correct," I nodded.

  "And you own all of this?" Justice Nova gestured at the sprawling farmland. “And… the Shandrian authorities do not mind?”

  “The Sovereign of Shandria is a friend of mine,” I replied smugly. "As you can see, I own about two hundred acres of farmland here, all the way to the Chasm Sea. Once my men put up resort cottage buildings on the beach, you are welcome to bring Lady Nova for a vacation here."

  "She... will undoubtedly appreciate the offer," the Judge smiled for the first time in two days. "Thank you."

  . . .

  Justice Nova stood at the crystal pebble beach, watching the Agrilopods work in the distance. Cinder approached her father hesitantly, her feathers shifting through nervous violets and blues.

  "Dad..." she began.

  Justice Nova turned to face her. "You've chosen... quite the partner, Cassie."

  "Yeah... he's... something else," Cinder rubbed her elbows.

  "Indeed," Justice Nova nodded, glancing at me where I stood chatting with Io. "I must admit, when you first brought him home, I didn't think that much of him. But it seems that you've picked a man of great ambition."

  "Yeah," Cinder's feathers shifted through soft pinks. "He... he's going to change everything, dad. And I want to be part of that change."

  "I can see that now. Just... be careful, starshine,” he replied. “The path you've chosen won't be easy. Great power equates to having many enemies."

  "When has anything worth doing ever been easy?" Cinder smiled, then suddenly launched herself at her father, wrapping him in a tight hug, her wings enveloping them both.

  Justice Nova seemed startled for a moment before returning the embrace, his bulky gray arms wrapping around his daughter.

  "I love you, dad," she uttered, her eyes filling with tears. "I think that... I haven't told you that in two years. Sorry… I've been... kind of lost, drifting away from you and mom. But I think I finally found someone who helped me find my way back to myself... Found... home."

  Justice Nova held his daughter tight for a long moment, his orange eyes glistening slightly. When they finally separated, he cleared his throat gruffly.

  "Well then," he said, straightening his formal robes. "I should head back to Earth. Your mother will want a full report, and I have quite a mountain of paperwork to process regarding your... fiancé's various legal matters."

  "Thanks dad," Cinder's feathers shifted through grateful golds and pinks. "For giving Alex a chance. For helping him with... all that legal bullshit."

  Justice Nova patted Cinder's head one last time. "Take care, daughter."

  "You too, dad."

  I once again grabbed Io's hand and we focused on reopening the portal back to my prison island, relying on our Time mage to solve the time-dilation problem.

  . . .

  As the portal closed behind the Justice, Cinder's wings shifted through relieved, calm blues and content violets.

  "That went better than expected," I commented, sitting down on the colorful pebbles next to her, watching as Io and Mags walked along the beach in the distance, occasionally throwing random pebbles at the glowing, green waves.

  "Yeah," she exhaled. "I can't believe you actually pulled that off. Getting my dad's approval for anything seemed impossible. Abyss, I've never seen him this shocked and polite!"

  "Nothing's impossible," I smiled, wrapping my arms around her waist. "Just improbable."

  “So, how long can we stay here?” She asked.

  “Till Monday,” I replied. “Sooooo…. like five months approximately.”

  “Hrm,” Cinder stretched across me to enjoy the sunshine. “That’s a long time to get sick of each other.”

  “I don’t think that I could ever get sick of you,” I smiled at her.

  “Abyss, I miss Vee,” she curled into me. “I don’t think that I could stay here that long, knowing that she’s back on Earth… probably not even aware that we exist.”

  “We’ll stay just enough for me to set up Yulia’s new servers then and to give all of my mooks phones and further instructions,” I said. “Good?”

  “Yeah,” she nodded, closing her eyes and humming the 'blue screen' tune under her breath. “Sounds good."

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