SORA

I stretch my arms over my head as I groan, sitting up in Merrick and my's bed. I look around and my eyes land on a little note left on the nightstand by Merrick.

'Went out to get us breakfast— xoxo.'

I grin and shake my head, deciding to climb out of bed and get changed. Eight months have passed since Carmin's defeat, and two months have passed since Sekai and Gambit's wedding. Since then, my nineteenth birthday came and went, and things have been peaceful at Aria.

Sander has really turned Aria back around since Carmin's control of it. Life at the academy is thriving and life outside of Aria is also thriving, the nightmare creatures having settled back down to a more normal population. Arias are still necessary, but the crisis that was happening has settled down.

On the other side of things...Reverence's health has continued to decline. Evory and Isabella estimate that he has about two months left, if that. Nikita has been sending potions to the academy to help with his condition, which is probably why he's stayed alive for so long.

Meanwhile, Shae's prison trial was held. He was sentenced to life and remains in the Aria prison cells. Sander refuses to speak to him, despite Kit urging him to, because even though she despises what he did just as much as Sander does, she doesn't think that they should let things go the way they did between them.

I sigh to myself as I stand in front of the mirror in our room, having moved into Merrick's dorm long ago. I run a hand through my hair, having cut it to be short on the sides and long on the top shortly after my nineteenth birthday. I decide to throw on a black and white flannel over top of a white muscle shirt with dark grey ripped jeans and black work boots. I grab my ring that Merrick gave me off of our dresser and slide it on my index finger, keeping the arm band he got me safely stored in a box on top of the dresser.

Once I'm finished getting dressed, the door opens a few minutes later to reveal Merrick in his usual scarlet colored robe that's thrown over top of a maroon colored v-neck and black sweatpants, as well as maroon slippers, his hair ruffled.

"I got us doughnuts and coffee," Merrick says, holding up two white bags in his left hand with a coffee and another coffee in his right.

"Thanks," I grin, watching as Merrick enters the room before he hands me my bag and my coffee.

The two of us sit on the bed together and eat our breakfast, enjoying the comfortable silence of each other's company. Once I finish my powdered doughnut, I drink from my coffee and watch Merrick as he swallows the rest of his glazed doughnut, his eyebrows raising as if asking me what I'm thinking.

"What is it?" Merrick asks.

"Nothing," I shake my head, reaching for his arm that has his tattoo, gently tracing my fingers over it after pushing up his sleeves. "I was just thinking..."

"Hmm?" Merrick hums. "You want one of your own?"

"Maybe," I nod, my eyes flickering from his tattoo up to his eyes. "Or maybe, a matching one with you."

"Sora..." Merrick's breath hitches, his eyes widening. "You'd really want that?"

"Yeah," I nod. "Would you?"

"Yeah," Merrick smiles softly. "I would."

"Then it's settled," I grin. "We'll plan it together."

"Great," Merrick grins in return and leans in to kiss me quickly before he pulls back. "Hey, would you maybe wanna go to—"

A knock on the door interrupts Merrick and he sighs. I send him an apologetic smile before I get up from the bed and make my way to the door, opening it to reveal Layla. My eyebrows raise in surprise, considering the love-hate form of friendship that we seem to have, which makes me wonder what she would want so early in the morning.

"Do you remember when you told me you'd help me if I ever needed it?" Layla asks, her blue eyes wary.

"Yeah?" I furrow my eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

"Not me," Layla shakes her head. "It's Akari. Azuma abandoned her place protecting Valentine and Miroslava's homeland to teleport here to speak to her and Valentine directly while Akari, Kaito, Valentine, and I were training. Akari asked for you and Merrick."

I glance back over my shoulder to find Merrick standing directly behind me, having come to the door upon hearing Layla's voice. Merrick nods and the two of us head out to follow Layla, who leads us to Akari.

We find Akari, Valentine, Kaito, and Azuma standing in the training grounds, Akari looking concerned while Valentine wears the same broody expression he always has and Kaito frowns with his arms crossed against his chest.

"What's going on?" I ask, my gaze flickering between the four of them.

"I came to ask for help," Azuma scowls as she turns to face me. "My world is in grave danger."

"What're you talking about?" Merrick furrows his eyebrows.

"As I've expressed before, the nightmare realm is not just full of horrible creatures," Azuma says, looking between all of us. "There are people, citizens, innocent beings. My realm has been at war for the past few months, a terrible darkness taking over the lands. For centuries, there were five kingdoms, one primary kingdom and four beneath it. Those kingdoms all ruled equally. When I left, my older sister was in charge of my family's throne. When I returned, I had found that we were at war. One of the rulers in one of the other four kingdoms had mysteriously died without an heir, and each kingdom blamed the other. After that, a sickness spread across the lands, followed by war and mass panic. Kingdoms fell, villages were slayed. Please, you have to help me. If my realm falls, yours will as well. They depend on each other to thrive, a balance of yin and yang."

"How can we help?" I ask, my jaw setting firmly.

"If I can manage to convince the kingdoms to make a peace treaty and find a ruler for the lost kingdom, the wars will stop," Azuma says. "That still leaves the illness to take care of, but it would be more manageable without a raging war taking its toll and with the help of everyone working together to find a cure. I came to Valentine because I didn't know who else to ask...and I knew Akari would most likely be with him."

"What's that supposed to—" Kaito scowls, but Akari cuts him off.

"Of course we'll help you," Akari says, Kaito frowning and looking at her with a slightly hurt expression.

I glance between the two of them, knowing Kaito knows about Valentine's past with the previous Patience, but also knowing that it's understandable for him to not like what Azuma was implying. Then again, it's not as if Azuma knows Kaito and Akari are dating.

"I feel as if I already know the answer to this, but would it kill you to have Miroslava come as well?" Valentine asks. "After all, she could give insight as to what happened."

"Fine," Azuma scowls. "Let her come. All I want is to save my people. That's all I care about."

"Right," Valentine nods. "We should leave soon, then."

"When you're all ready, I can teleport us to the gateway," Azuma says.

"We'll meet you at the academy entrance," Valentine says and Azuma nods.

"Come on," Merrick sighs, grabbing my arm gently. "We've got another world to save, it would seem."

"I'll go tell Sander," Akari says.

"I'll come with," Kaito says, still seemingly phased by Azuma's comment as he trails after Akari.

"Yeah," I breathe out, turning with Merrick. "Let's go."