1 week and 6 days until invasion

  All around preparations are being made. Preparations we have seen before, watched before. I had spent a lot of time contemplating while I watched. I still don't really know if these people are the bad guys. The world is rarely so black and white. However, there is always something objectively wrong about what individuals are doing. Nobody is perfect. Most politicians seem to take that as their motto and golden rule. And all we can do at the moment is wait. Wait for the invasion to happen again. Of course.

  “Why are you frowning?” A voice asks. I look down to see Collin staring up at me.

  ‘I'm not frowning.’ I say, ruffling the kids’ hair. ‘Just thinking. Like an adult. Where's your sister?’

  “With mommy.” Collin says, escaping my hand and flopping onto the couch. He rolls over with a pillow in his arms. “Can I have this pillow?”

  ‘Uh… sure.’ I shrug. ‘You can have that pillow.’

  “Yay!” He cheers, hugging the pillow tighter and rolling around. I resist the urge to laugh. Phoebe is lucky to have kids like these. Hell, these kids are lucky to have her. Makes me wonder what I would have turned out as if my mother was still around.

  “You're frowning again!” Collin says, pointing a finger at me. I pause, turning to give him a flat stare before sighing. My scales and wings melt away to show my regular human appearance.

  “Pyro!” I turn to see Phoebe entering the room at speed, her daughter launching off her back from the abrupt stop and landing on the couch with a “Wee!”.

  ‘Phoebe? What's wrong?’ I ask, frowning.

  “You're tier 2!” She says. “That's what's wrong!”

  ‘What do you mean?’ I ask, my frown deepening as I look myself over.

  “What tier were you at this point in time before the invasion last time?” She asks pointedly. I pause. Then unleash a slur of curses only Phoebe can hear.

  ‘I was tier 1 at this time, wasn't I?!’ I run my hands along my face and groan. ‘I haven't interacted with anybody important in the past day, but they'll absolutely notice I'm tier 2 out of nowhere, and with no evolution wave, won't they?’

  “That's the problem.” She nods. “So what do we do about it?”

  ‘Maybe escape early?’ I offer, then frown. ‘No, that wouldn't work. I'm watched often. You and the kids could make it out right now, but I couldn't follow. And all of you vanishing, along with me being a tier up, would be suspicious. People would ask questions, no doubt about it.’

  “We need to figure something out…” She starts, then pauses. Her head whips to the bathroom. It's then that I notice it too. The shadows in the bathroom are changing, becoming denser and lined with mana in a way I recognize. A figure walks out, glancing left to right.

  “Please tell me I got the right one.” He mutters, then locks eyes with me. “Oh, I did!”

  ‘...Abhor?’ I stagger back, blinking at the demidragon in human form.

  “Yeah. I, uh… wanted to talk. If possible.” He starts, then pauses as a flaming spear appears in Phoebe's hands, pointed at his throat.

  “What are you doing here?” She frowns, maneuvering herself so the couch is behind her. Both children peer over the edge of the couch at the pale boy. Honestly, he looks like a vampire with his skin tone, but his eyes undercut the effect.

  “Uh… I wanted to talk?” Abhor offers, raising both hands up. “I really don't want to fight. You could imagine how that would go for me, especially after last time.”

  ‘Hey, Phoebe, calm down.’ I say, raising a hand up and gently lowering her spear. ‘He's not a threat. I couldn't imagine him hurting the kids.’

  “Kids? What kids?” Abhor asks, glancing around before noticing the 2 children. “Oh, those kids. Pyro, are you a dad?”

  ‘Wh-tha-huh?’ If I had been drinking something I would have spat it out. ‘What led you to THAT conclusion?!’

  “A boy and a girl alone in an apartment with 2 kids.” Abhor states flatly. “Could lead to some misconceptions.”

  ‘Okay, first of all, I'm 16, and Phoebe is in her 30s.’ I say, waving a finger in front of him. ‘Secondly, they're technically my… you know… property.’ I scratch the back of my head. Abhor pauses.

  “You own slaves? That's… not cool, dude.” He says, narrowing his eyes.

  “He saved me and my children.” Phoebe snaps, glaring at him and raising her spear up again.

  “Hey, I wasn't saying anything against him.” Abhor immediately says. “I just disapprove of slavery, that's all.”

  “Oh.” She pauses. “Is slavery not a thing in the city under that tree?”

  “It's not a thing in any city in the Verdant forest.” Abhor shrugs. “Or, well, it is, but usually in place of the death penalty. And only for those who really deserve it. Lot's of restrictions too on proper conduct with a slave. There are over 20 cities in the forest, though I've only been to Great tree city. Lots of towns and villages too.”

  ‘So the Verdant forest is like a country?’ I ask.

  “It is a country.” He says. “Though it doesn't have a name. Aftermath couldn't care less about names.”

  ‘Aftermath?’ I ask, confused.

  “The ruler and Primordial god of the place.” Abhor says with a shrug. Phoebe freezes up.

  “The god of life… is a dragon?” She asks. I assume she's thinking back to the glimpses of the skeletal dragon she saw fighting the Grand General.

  “So are all the other primordials.” Abhor shrugs. “I don't know the details, I'm not religious so don't badger me on it, but that's what I know. That's not why I'm here, though. Pyro, can we talk in private?”

  I wince as I look into his eyes. I murdered this kid. And yet he doesn't seem to hold it against me. Why?

  ‘Alright.’ I nod.

  “What? No, let me come with you.” Phoebe insists, stepping forward. I stop her with one hand.

  ‘Stay with the kids. It's safer for them with you.’ I say firmly.

  “I… alright.” She slumps but nods. As me and Abhor make our way to the balcony the kids immediately start asking their mother questions. I close the balcony door behind us as we step out. I lean against the railing looking down at the city below.

  ‘So…’ I say, not looking up at him.

  “So…” Abhor agrees, fidgeting with his hands. “Let's talk about you.”

  <{0}>

  Finding Pyro had not been fun. I had been dropped into the same location as the last time I visited this place, and immediately fell into the shadows. Something I found was that I could see through shadows I myself would not be able to see while not inside the shadow space. It let me move from place to place and check everywhere I could for death mana. 8 places I found with more death mana than others. 6 of them were cemeteries. I had taken on my human form in order to not be too conspicuous when exiting hiding. The seventh place was… the lab. I did not check there. I did not want to see it again.

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  The final place was inside of a large apartment.

  Oh, it sucked to get into that apartment. So many layers of defences were in the walls and structure of the building. However, illusion mana and dark mana both find themselves really good at slipping around defences. I was able to reach it, eventually ,stumbling into the bathroom. I wasn't tired. I never get tired. But still, that suuuucked.

  Pyro, apparently, found that amusing.

  “Oh, stop laughing!” I snap at him.

  ‘Sorry, sorry.’ He says, waving a hand in the air as he takes a second to calm down his wheezes. His laugh sounded strange, broken in a way.

  “Is there something wrong with your throat?” I ask, frowning.

  ‘Corrupted vocal chords.’ Pyro says with a sigh. ‘Did I not tell you that?’

  “You were probably too busy killing me.” I shrug. He winces.

  ‘I… am sorry about that. Truly.’ He says, shoulders slumping. ‘But what else was I supposed to do?’

  “I don't blame you.” I say, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Doesn't mean it was fun, but I understand your situation. I'm here so hopefully we can get you out of it. You have value to us too. Not in the way this place likely said. You know things about the plan that I don't. You could help save us.” I look down and sigh. “But honestly, that’s not why I'm here. Those people could be evacuated. The information I gave was enough for them. I want to help. You're in a situation you shouldn't be in. I want to get you out of it if I can.”

  For a moment Pyro just stares at me, uncomprehending.

  ‘You… want to help? Why?’ He seems genuinely shocked.

  “Don't know. I guess because I feel you'd be better with us then against us.” I say with a shrug. “And I don't want to be the kind of guy to hold a grudge against someone who regrets what they did. Well, as long as you don't intend to do it again.”

  ‘I can promise I won't.’ He says with a nod. He slumps against the railing. ‘But what do I do? How do I get out of here, and get them out of here?’

  “Actually, I have an idea, but it might be really horrible.” I say, taking off the pendant. I chuckle nervously.

  <{0}>

  “I still don't trust you.” Phoebe mutters, gripping onto the scales of the creature below her. She and her children are gripping to the back of the winged creature as he dives from shadow to shadow, moving hundreds of meters with every shift, and either running or flying through the forest whenever his mana fell low.

  “I find myself liking you less and less the more I complain.” Abhor says flatly, climbing out of a shadow and beginning to run again. “I'd drop you, but I promised Pyro I'd get you there safely, and I don't want to have to carry crying kids and an unconscious lady on my back.” He turns back to running. “I really hope this doesn't become a constant thing. I am not a horse.”

  “Weeeee!” Olivia shouts for the millionth time, laughing and giggling as she grips Abhors neck, riding beside Collin, right in front of Phoebe, who is watching them to ensure they don't fall.

  “Do you have enough food for the trip?” Abhor asks, looking back at Phoebe, who scoffs.

  “I don't need to eat for weeks, myself. And I packed a bag with enough snacks for the kids.”

  “How much?” He asks, his eyes narrowing as she pauses.

  “Uh… a few banana's, some yogurt drinks, some chocolate bars, and a few sandwiches.” she says eventually.

  “You're a mom, right? How do you not know how much kids eat at that age?” He asks skeptically, tuning forward to continue running.

  “My husband usually fed them.” She admits, crossing her arms. “I was a guardian, not a chef.”

  “Yeah. I guessed.” He sighs. “I've got food. Don't starve your kids.”

  “You'd offer your food to them?” She frowns. “Why?”

  “What else am I going to do without it? I can go months without eating, so at this point I only ever really eat for pleasure if anything. It'll just go bad in my storage space without someone eating it.” After a moment he slows to a stop before a tree, lowering himself down. Collin and Olivia both make “Aww” noises as he stops, but climb off with their mother.

  Demishift

  Abhor reaches into his pocket and pulls out a coin. He presses his own mana into it, and with a flash, a picnic blanket appears in his hands. He holds it out to her.

  “Can you lay this down for me?” He asks. Phoebe takes the blanket, then shrugs and sets it out on the grass. When she lays it down, food appears on it. Various meats, vegetables, sauces, and desserts appear, making her freeze.

  “All this… it looks amazing.” she says, picking up a container of mashed potatoes and opening it. Warm air smelling of mashed potato greets her nostrils and she closes the lid. “Where did you get all this?”

  “I baked it all for a party.” He says, sitting down and picking a cupcake up. He opens his mouth and takes a bite. “The kids can have some too. The plates are to the left. I'll put them away after they're served, so they stay warm.”

  “Alright…” she says, looking down at the food. She makes quick work creating plates of food for the kids. As she does, she thinks to herself. She feels inadequate, in a way. She hadn't been without her husband for long. Her friend had helped her care for the kids before her village had been raided and all captured. Then Pyro had always made sure the kids were fed. She was… not good at being a mother. That hurt, even thinking about it. But she would be better. She had every opportunity to be now, thanks to Pyro. And thanks to Abhor, I suppose. But I dislike admitting that. Something about him… maybe it was just the way we met, or maybe it's his affinities. But I don't trust him.

  She sighs. This is just so much. She hopes Pyro is alright.

  “Calm down.” Abhor says, chuckling. “That's the fourth time you've sighed in the past 3 minutes.”

  “Oh, you shut up.” She snaps back, then clamps her mouth shut. She sighs. “Look, I don't not appreciate what you're doing. I'm happy that my kids and I are out of there. But that doesn't mean I trust you.”

  “I have at no point asked you to trust me.” Abhor says, then pauses. “Wait, have I? I can't remember… ugh, you get the point! I just want you to work with me for now. We can get to the trust part at a later date.” He sits down on the blanket, his wings tucked into his side, then pauses. Turning around, he finds Collin touching his tail with a finger, eyes wide and curious. Abhor flicks his tail away. Collin trots over and touches it again. Abhor, again, flicks his tail away, which Collin follows. Abhor turns back to Phoebe.

  “Can you please ask him to stop?” He pleads. Phoebe stares for a second before chuckling.

  “I think the big scary dragon can do this himself.” She says. Abhor sighs.

  “I’m doomed.”

  <{0}>

  ‘So, do I just break it or…’ I frown, sitting on the floor of the now completely empty room.

  {Storage capacity:14%}

  I feel like I got a pretty good storage skill. I could fit everything in my apartment inside. Staring down at the green pendant, I consider what to do. If I leave now and break the stone, the timeline might change too much. It'll be harder to predict what might come of this. I'm unsure what to do. Stay, and leave when optimal? Or go, and hope things don’t change too much and ruin the plans that Abhor's friends have? It's a conundrum I'm not sure how to resolve. Thinking back, I assume he expects me to smash the thing immediately.

  “Human form.” He had said. “And no mask either. I kinda splurged about you while my friends were concerned about me, so… they know your appearance.”

  I sigh. I deserve that, I feel. I do worry what will happen to me if I go, however. Abhor told me it would take him maybe 3 days to get to the tree, so I have time to consider. If I go now, I'll likely have nowhere to stay or go for those days. I can't ask Abhor's friends for help. I can't go anywhere if I break this, until he gets there. I feel the safe bet is to wait and use it either at an optimal time, ore 3 days from now in the morning.

  Sighing again, I wave a hand. My bed appears again in the room and I flop down onto it, pulling the sheets over myself.

  {Jim:Considered your options, I see}

  That I did. You seem… well, I'm not sure how you seem, you're a screen.

  {Jim:Then consider me pleased. My other charges are either lucky fools or unlucky fools. I at least have one lucky smart person.}

  Oh? You're being rather talkative about your other charges.

  {Jim:You already met one, and will soon meet the other. There's no reason to be secretive about them anymore. You've at least seen both of them.}

  Seen, huh? So I'm guessing the ice guy that Phoebe fought is the other?

  {Jim:That is correct. Snowstorm.}

  Snowstorm? That sounds like a superhero name, not an actual person name.

  {Jim:He absolutely has no right to complain about a cool name like that.}

  Still sour about being named Jim?

  {Jim: … }

  {Jim: ...No.}

  I chuckle at that, sitting up. Well, that's good, buddy. I'm curious, have you got some central mind or something? Are you, like, a computer or something?

  {Jim: I am the result of the “Voice of the world” Skill that Snowstorm and Abhor both possess. I'm not a spirit skill, as my mind is a part of the system, not the skill. You yourself will obtain this skill after some time.}

  Voice of the world? Why don't I have it yet? And what's a spirit skill?

  {Jim:Speaking to me is one of the requirements to get it. The other is going through a serious, life changing event.}

  {Jim:As for what a spirit skill is, they are skills with minds of their own. Literal skills with spirits. A person can only have 1 spirit skill. Some people can have the same skill, but only one have it be a spirit skill, while the other doesn’t.}

  That's interesting information. Not particularly relevant, but certainly helpful.

  I pause as i hear a sound. I squint, using my mana sight to ignore the walls. I see a tier 3 mana signature making it's way toward the door to my apartment. I freeze. It's a woman shaped signature.

  Is that Trista?