Phoenix was suddenly chanting in a nguage she had never heard before, and that her transtion ability seemed to struggle with.

  “Soul Hope Entwine Harmony Distance…”

  Words poured out of both her and Everin’s mouths as she became entangled in the magic of the advanced ritual. The runes that were floating in the air now glowed and began to move with purpose in an intricate dance around both of them with Paul still lying in its center.

  Then he wasn’t lying. His still body seemed to be lifted up into the air and righted to face her. The stains of the void-tainted blood seemed to be wiped clean by the ritual, though the patches of bck void remained. She noticed the snow was also being pushed away by the magic that refused to be interrupted by any outside force at this point.

  “Kindred Path Bond Match Destiny…”

  Phoenix was slowly being lifted, and she had the disturbing sensation of no longer being in control of her body as the magic took command of that as well. She was but a puppet observing the inevitability of the moment.

  Next, a tiny diagram seemed to break away from the others moving around them to rest upon her chest. A sting of pain struck at her, and she saw a bright golden thread get pulled from her chest by the smaller circle of floating runes, which seemed to lead it somewhere.

  That was when she noticed that a simir diagram was doing the same thing to Paul and connected the two threads together into a single strand from one soul to the other. The golden cord became taut, and she was pulled through the air to the center until only a half foot of space y between them. The smell of a cedar fire and warmth of a clear summer day surrounded her. She recognized it as Paul’s scent, which always made her feel safe.

  A ripple of rainbow light spread from the center of the golden string, into both of them, and she felt her soul… entwine. She noticed Paul glowing with Ruby light before her own vision went white, something in her soul changing—cultivating into something new.

  Natural Talent: Lodestar

  Deviated from [Beacon of Hope] due to becoming soul entwined.

  Your soul has become entwined with Paul Waynd, one of your Kindred Spirits.Your soul will always recognize Paul Waynd’s soul as a Kindred Spirit.You share Natural Talents with your Kindred Spirit.You have a telepathic link with your Kindred Spirit with the range based on the highest Caste.When within your Kindred Spirit’s aura, you have increased Magic.When there is a Caste difference between you and your Kindred Spirit, the one with the lower Caste has an increased cultivation rate based on the difference.The effects of this cannot be shared.

  She felt her book feed the information to her from outside the ritual circle, and she was grateful for it so that she wouldn’t have a complete panic attack about not having any clue as to what was happening to her except the strange shifting signals her currently busy soul was trying to send. Getting information about what was happening to Paul at the same time was even more of a relief.

  Paul Waynd has cultivated a Natural Talent.

  Natural Talent: Soris

  Deviated from [Combination Disposition] due to becoming soul entwined.

  Your soul has become entwined with Phoenix Waynd, one of your Kindred Spirits.Your soul will always recognize Phoenix Waynd’s soul as a Kindred Spirit.You share Natural Talents with your Kindred Spirit.You have a telepathic link with your Kindred Spirit with the range based on the highest Caste.When within your Kindred Spirit’s aura, you have increased Magic.When there is a Caste difference between you and your Kindred Spirit, the one with the lower Caste has an increased cultivation rate based on the difference.The effects of this cannot be shared.

  “Body Strength Magic Dominion Cage...”

  The ritual continued, not caring in the slightest that both of its inhabitants had just gone through Talent Cultivations. In fact, she suspected that it was just an expected step in the course of this insane level of soul manipution, and she hoped it meant they were still in time.

  That was when the pain hit. She wanted to scream, but the ritual wouldn’t allow for it. She wanted to cry, but no tears would fall as the magic held her fast. It was like fire and ice were being pumped through her veins at the same time in opposite directions, threatening to either go numb or shatter from the intense conflict.

  Her mana was being forcibly drawn from her in ways it had never traveled before, and she felt like her magic itself would fray like Paul’s aura had been as she was pulled apart from within. She couldn’t even clench her teeth to try and withstand the pain.

  Then the Soul Cage moved, taking both her hands with it, and the bck fingers opened wide before smming the palm to the center of Paul’s chest, obscuring the singed sigil of the Purifier. Her hands released from holding it in pce to fall to her sides as the device seemed glued to him.

  As Phoenix watched, she was actually a bit grateful that Paul was unconscious for this. She wasn’t sure she could handle watching her mentor endure this level of pain, let alone what the device was surely adding as the hand clenched.

  The glossy onyx fingers dug into the half-rotted flesh beneath it as though trying to rip the man’s heart out straight through his sternum. The fact that he didn’t seem to react at all, however, made her panic. Surely if his soul hadn’t left, he would be able to feel that?

  The Soul Cage then seemed to melt into his chest, vanishing to be covered by freshly regenerated skin, but still retaining that burnt-looking Mark of the Fallen. Paul began to glow with Ruby light again, and a small flicker of hope rose within her heart as she watched and waited for either a note from her book or those blue eyes to look at her again.

  The next message caused her heart to both soar with the joy of victory and shatter with the price that success had cost.

  Paul Waynd has cultivated a Natural Talent.

  Natural Talent: Caged by Caste

  Deviated from [Special Attack Disposition] due to extreme soul manipution.

  Your body has been Caged to your soul, greatly increasing your attributes.Your soul has been Caged to your mind, greatly weakening your willpower.Your mind has been overtaken by Phoenix Waynd, granting them dominion over it.Your body, soul, and mind are severely out of alignment due to Caste imbance; until corrected you will enter a state of regenerative stasis.The effects of this cannot be shared.

  “No,” she thought in horror.

  “Please tell me I’m reading this wrong,” Dazien’s strained voice said in her mind. Fortunately, it seemed like his ability wasn’t interrupted by the ritual still swirling around her.

  “Please, no,” she begged to the magic consuming them.

  New Title: Soul Tyrant

  Your aura has been slightly modified by your actions. The resolve to cim complete dominion over another can be sensed within it. Your aura has slightly increased effects when near those who serve your will.

  “No, no, no,” her mind kept chanting as everything seemed to be unraveling around her, “What have I done?”

  “You saved his life,” Uriel’s calm voice replied, “That’s what matters.”

  Phoenix was falling.

  Well, not exactly falling, but being lowered to the ground now as the ritual seemed to wind down. However, her mana was still draining for some reason. Apparently, the ritual was not done extracting its dues from her, and she triggered her tattoo in an effort to stave off the inevitable.

  When her feet touched the ground, she felt the magic release its hold on her, and she stumbled forward to try to catch Paul from falling to the ground only to find herself colpsing as well. Strong arms caught her as she watched Everin catch Paul, lowering both of them to the ground as the runes seemed to begin shattering in the air like dazzling fireworks.

  She would have thought it lovely if it hadn’t hurt every time one seemed to break.

  “It’s still channeling more power than you can withstand,” the Avatar of the Schor expined, “I was able to cover the ritual costs, but it was still a Ruby Caste Ritual, and this vessel is still Emerald, the same would have happened to him. I apologize for the loss of progress, but at least your father will live.”

  Phoenix winced in pain, both physical and emotional, “And how long will he be in stasis for? I may not know the details or exact context, but I understand what that word means.”

  The goddess-infused voxen gave a sad smile, “Until you hit Ruby Caste.”

  She couldn’t help the sob that escaped from her, and she realized it was Dazien holding her as his grip tightened, pulling her closer to him in a hug.

  “Hey, it’ll be okay,” he whispered.

  “No! It won’t! Why do people keep saying that?!” she choked out, each shattering rune causing another hitch in her throat.

  “Because you gave us hope,” Dazien whispered, “You did the impossible and avoided the worst.”

  “Don’t fall into the abyss of despair, sweet flower,” Saiya whispered to her from somewhere she couldn’t focus on at the moment, “This is not the end.”

  She cried until finally the ritual took more than she had to give to finish, and she died, getting even further from reuniting with her dad.

  Dazien wasn’t sure what to think at the moment as Phoenix died in his arms while sobbing against his chest. He felt more helpless in that moment than he had in a long time. Unable to do anything but offer words of comfort, which only seemed to make her more upset as the incomprehensible ritual devoured her.

  It was disturbing to feel her body instantly turn to white ash, looking like the snow that had once been on the now-completely-dry metal of the ship deck. It felt like too much to process at once. The messages the book gave, the hope followed by despair, the bittersweet realization of a costly victory, and the inevitable death of his immortal sister.

  He refocused on Paul, hoping that the message had been mistaken and he would awaken, but Everin suddenly slumping over distracted him. He moved to assist, no longer having a Wayfarer to fret over instead.

  Dazien carefully readjusted Paul on his back and checked on Everin. The Avatar was still alive, thankfully. He had been worried the goddess might have burnt through the vessel in her determination to finish the ritual. Dazien had read stories of gods pushing their Avatars too far in pursuit of a goal. Many never sted long because of that.

  “Cleric Starrk?” he asked, gently shaking the man, who didn’t respond, then gnced over to Saiya as she moved up next to him, “Is he alright?”

  “Drained, but he’ll live,” she answered, “He’s not channeling Schor anymore, which is good. I’m not sure he would have sted much longer. That was the most terrifying ritual I’ve ever witnessed before for so many different reasons.”

  He couldn’t argue with the assessment, and he was sure that she had a much more intimate experience during it with her particur Perception power than he had. “Do we take them home?”

  Saiya looked at him with those rge, warm, amber eyes and gave a small, knowing smile as she asked, “And where exactly is home, Dazien?”

  He flushed slightly at the faux pas and nodded towards Paul as he corrected, “His home. Where Phoenix will be awaiting us, hopefully.”

  “We’ll have to carry them back,” she pointed out, “Also, I’m not sure I feel safe enough to risk carrying a Ruby Caste Padin of the Avenger or an Emerald Avatar of the Schor through the city. We’ll need the director’s help to get them back without an assassination attempt happening on the way.”

  Dazien bnched at the idea of a sudden ambush and losing everything they had just regained. He nodded in understanding and readjusted himself to lift the taller man to carry him over a shoulder. Dazien couldn’t budge him. He forgot how much Ruby Casters were said to weigh, and now he was learning about it first-hand at the most inconvenient time.

  Saiya frowned at him, “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s too heavy,” he said with a bit of awe, “The weight of the condensed magic far exceeds my Crystal Strength, even at the peak. We’ll need a couple of strong Sapphires unless you know some kind of ritual or magic item we can use to transport him.”

  Laughter tickled his tapered ears as he looked up at Saiya, “Imagine getting to this point. Days of warfare with a horde of monsters, a Ruby dragon, a Soul Reaper assassin, a Cleric turned Avatar, an experimental ritual from beyond this reality, and we’re finally defeated by logistics.”

  Dazien ughed with her, “Well, when you put it like that, it does sound like a ridiculous problem to run into, but there it is.”

  “Hey, we need to go. There’s still a lot of monsters around that aren’t being scared off with the Ruby Caste magic anymore now that—What in the Abyss happened here?” Rayna asked, having just finished climbing over the edge of the deck to join them.

  The bard froze for a moment, seeming to process the situation before pointing and asking in a rush, “Is he dead? Are they both dead? Where’s Phoenix? Wait, let me guess, she died, didn’t she?! Why is everyone dead?!”

  Dazien gnced back at Saiya as they both burst out ughing despite their mountain of problems. For now, at least, there was hope.