"I- No I'm not" Astrid's voice trembled.

She seemed really anxious... I don't think I've ever seen her like this before. My body started moving on its own, moving closer and closer to Astrid until she was wrapped in my arms.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to dig into anything. You don't have to explain yourself, I understand."

No words left her lips, but I could feel her breathing grow more stable. I thought Angel fit her really well, but I was being insensitive. Gosh, why am I such a dumbass? I should've known that when Gus Graviole of all people called her that; there was a clear history with that nickname. Eventually, we got off each other and walked close to the water, clouds now casting over us.

There was an odd tension in the atmosphere that I was too scared to break. I wanted to say something but I couldn't. I've never been this close with anyone before, besides my family, and I don't want to lose what we have over something so... small? Ahh the guilt is just eating me up, am I overthinking it? Definitely not— I've never seen her like that before. What have I done...

"Oi, can you shut up? I try to ignore your thoughts the best I can, but in times like these, it's practically impossible. Just tell the damn Angel you love her already and move on." Gheera bellowed.

"E-eh? Gheera?" I almost say out loud. It still hasn't registered that I basically have a dragon living inside me. It doesn't make any kind of sense, but I guess it is pretty awesome if you don't try to think about all the... implications?

"Look kid, we're going to be spending the next however long with each other. Could be years, could be days."

"You definitely have more patience than I do, so for your own sake, please become more confident. Give me rage, drive, anything but this anxiety shit" Gheera grumbled.

"I... Sorry. Still, though, It's not gonna be an overnight thing you know? You still need to have a little patience."

"Ah I know, unfortunately. Just don't take too long, kid."

"REIMI," Astrid shouted.

Her hands clamped down on mine like a vice grip.

"Wha- I'm sorry, I think I spaced out" I mumbled.

She sighed and lightened her grip over my hands. "You sure you're with me now Rei? You looked frozen..."

"I'm fine, promise. But what about you though? I'm really sorry again-"

Astrid slid her right foot between my legs and swept me off my feet, once again.

"Oh come on, you could've at least told me this time!" I whined.

Astrid's lips curved into a slight smile. "That's what you get for apologizing again love."

We took off from the ground just as we did before but with more urgency this time. The transition from ground to air was abrupt; thankfully though, the flight forward was just as nice as it was prior. Ocean was all I could see, and salty breezes were all I could smell. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get there, but being carried by Astrid the whole way isn't something I could complain about, to be honest.

For a while, I couldn't help but just stare at her face. Not really sure why besides the fact she's incredibly beautiful. Maybe it's because she was trying her best to avoid eye contact with me. I wonder what I could do to get her attention...

"Reimi I can feel your eyes burning a hole through my skin," Astrid said.

"I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about~"

Astrid sighed and smiled, still not looking away from the ocean ahead. I wish I could peek into her mind sometimes, not to do anything weird of course. I just don't know how to go about this situation. Is she upset with me, am I overreacting? Bleh, this is what I get for not interacting with enough people. I wanted to lean my head closer to her arm, and in the process of doing so, the tip of my nose brushed against her chest. I really hope she didn't feel that-

"Hey Astrid..?" I said softly.

"Mm? What's up Reimi?"

I reached my arms up and wrapped them gently around her neck. The closest I could get to a hug like this, without being too annoying.

"I just wanted to say... I hope you know I'll always be there for you. To do anything. Whether that be just talking or listening to each other, fighting side by side, camping, you name it. I uhm—"

Astrid started giggling a bit. "Reimi you're too precious, ya know that?"

I could feel my face flush as my brain processed what she said, but more importantly what I said. Why did it sound so...

"Why did that sound so awkward though?" Astrid smirked.

"I'm not used to this okay!" I say, trying to cover my bright red face.

Before she could even say anything I turned my head to face the ocean. "I mean it though Astrid... always."

"And I hope you know it's the same for you babe, always," Astrid said.

Gosh, I love it when she calls me that. Is that strange? I should just stop thinking.

"And Reimi... I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was overreacting, and you really didn't do anything wrong. Ahh god I feel really bad."

That really took me off guard. "Astrid there's no need to be sorry! I overstepped, I should've known there was some history with that nickname. Please don't feel bad-"

Since that'll just make me feel even worse.

"Mm, if you say so..."

Astrid's eyebrows started to furrow a bit.

"Well Rei, I think I'm gonna take you up on your offer. Wanna hear a bit about my life?" Astrid smiled, nervously.

I stretched out my body as much as I could and nuzzled her. "Well of course I'd love to!"

I hope I'm able to make her feel more comfortable, since gosh she seems really tensed. Her past must really be something she doesn't like talking about— and to that end, I really relate.

"So... ah god, I have no clue where to start" Astrid's lips quivered.

"I'm sorry in advance Reimi, I've never really told anyone any of this before. My words'll probably be all over the place."

I dropped my arm more to the side and gripped Astrid's hand. "Take your time, after all, we've still got lots of ocean to travel I imagine."

I could see her smile and nod slightly, still not really making eye contact with me. Thinking about it I'm probably making her more uncomfortable with all this staring. I'm great at this, aren't I? I turn to look at the ocean instead, keeping my ears open for Astrid's words.

"Well, as I'm sure it's pretty obvious now; I'm an Angel. Or more specifically, a Paladin. I know these terms probably don't mean anything to you-"

Astrid let out a deep breath. "But anyways, I'm from the Land of Latria, or I guess how it's referred to in myth: Island of Angels."

I've had my mind wrecked so many times in the past month or so, but this has to be the craziest thing I've heard. I... don't know how to process any of this. This basically means all the stories my parents told me as a kid were true. The legends about so many different gods and places, they're all real. I mean it shouldn't be this alarming since magic exists, but still-

"Reimi? You there?" Astrid frowned.

"A-ah yeah! I'm here, sorry. I guess that just blew my mind a bit."

I coughed. "Honestly you telling me that shifted my whole world more than a lot of things over the past month."

Astrid's brows started to raise a lot, along with the pitch of her voice. "Really? And why's that?"

"It's just that... even though magic exists, I never thought that all the legends people told about angels, gods, and all that were true."

Astrid giggled a bit and tightened her grip on my arm. "Ahh I see I see. Well since you know a bit about the legends, I'm assuming, this'll make explaining things much easier.

"All of it is true, and it's all much more awful than the legends make it out to be. Especially when it comes to Latria."

We started to descend at a really fast pace. I could see huge black clouds looming in the distance.

"Astrid what's going on?" I exclaim.

"God, I'm sorry we've had to cut our talk short love, but brace yourself! We're racing into a huge storm."

The wind started gnawing at us, chewing through the warm bubble Astrid kept around us. It was becoming really difficult to hear anything.

"WHAT?!"

Everything was blending together at the speed we were moving. Rain smashed against Astrid's barrier as the wind amplified its strength. Everything was so dark, except for the faint white hanging on the raging waves. My body started shaking on its own. What if Astrid drops me? It wouldn't be on purpose but... I'll grab onto her really tight, just in case. Hopefully, she doesn't mind.

"HOLD- REIMI, ALMOST THERE" I could faintly hear Astrid yell.

My ears burst as reality shifted before my eyes. One second we were enveloped in rain and wind, the next we were in tranquil waters; with the sun shining bright. Just how fast did we go..? I could feel my head recoiling.

"R-reimi? I... wow that took a lot more out of me than I thought-"

"Astrid?!"

I could see her eyes start to close, oh gosh this isn't good. I slipped from her grip but managed to grab her before the wind split us completely. What do I do?! The ocean surface was getting closer and closer... I could freeze the water!

I point my left arm towards the surface of the water and begin channeling energy. I closed my eyes and prayed, all the training I've done thus far should make this a breeze. I kept my eyes closed as we hit the surface of the water. Well, clearly I created something. This feels really off though. Why do I feel so nervous to open my eyes-

"You're welcome, my lady," a grimy voice said.

"What the-?" I opened my eyes and looked down.

To my horror, it was one of the monsters from the void. I've never seen this one in particular, but it wasn't exactly hard to deduct. This one looked like a giant crocodile. His scales were giant and thick, jet black with purple energy seeping from different crevices. His snout was shaped like a V, and he had six eyes in total; they were a vibrant orange. I grit my teeth and tense my muscles.

"Why are you here?" the words left my lips cold.

The crocodile started swimming forward. "Because you summoned me."

"E-eh? Explain."

"Don't you know my lady? All of us are at your command" the crocodile grunted.

"Though, I don't think a lot of the others would be as accommodating as me."

I was struggling to keep Astrid in my arms, but I had to hold on. I couldn't trust this croc one bit. I lift my leg up and slam my foot into his back. This was my best chance to get some more answers, I wasn't going to let him keep them from me.

"And why would that be? Give it to me straight" I said.

"Not many of them respect you. You can't blame them right? You're a weakling. Being the new Queen, you've got a lot of expectations to meet."

The crocodile hissed. "I personally don't care. You called, so I came."

"I-I see, wait" my words came out shaky. I could feel my body losing strength rather quickly. My legs started wobbling as the crocodile started fading away. No, I have to keep Astrid safe. I can't, can't blackout now...

My eyelids refuse to move, keeping my vision a starry black. My body felt completely drained, but not hurt at all. Why am I always finding myself in these situations? I pass out and then end up somewhere completely random? First things first, I need to survey where I am. Without opening my eyes I could feel rough springs press into my back. Signs of an old mattress, Willowwood has taught me well. I could also feel someone's presence close to me, an all too familiar warmth. Thank everything she's next to me, that makes this whole ordeal much less scary.

Still, though, I need to proceed with caution. Figuring out if someone with magic was responsible for bringing us here would be the next best step. If the person or party in question do use magic, moving even slightly would be a terrible idea...

Gheera? Are you there?

"Hmm? Oh you're awake, good work staying alive" Gheera grumbled.

Uhm, thanks? Though I don't think I can really take credit for that. Anyways, could I ask for your help?

"Depends. What do you need?"

Is there a way I could look around this space I'm in, without exposing myself?

"No idea."

A slight amount of air left my lips, uncontrollably. "Really? There's no kind of magic that'll help me here?"

I could feel Gheera's anger colliding with my skin, burning me inside out. "Look kid, you're gonna need to learn this fast. Magic can't solve everything. In fact, magic creates many more problems than solutions."

"The key to strength in this world is being able to adapt."

Instinctively, cold energy flowed throughout my body, intercepting the heat and cooling everything down.

"Also, never rely on anyone else. You'll never know when the ones closest to you will betray you; especially when magic is involved."

Gheera's rage started to subside, and now all I could feel was his voice rattling my brain. "Anyways kid, all I'll say is that you do have the keys to solve these problems. Don't think I'll waste my breath assisting you every time."

Thanks, Gheera, really.

I have the keys to solve this problem... hm. The solution has to be magic unless the problem is something else. Elemental magic won't be of use to me here, but wait— I could try summoning something. I thought I heard Gheera faintly chuckle, but that couldn't be right. Anyways, that crocodile did explain summoning to me a bit. So there isn't a guarantee that this'll work at all, but I have to try.

I need to survey this room. Please? I know you guys don't like me but—

"Ack- argh-"

Something was clawing its way up my esophagus. My throat's going to explode. I could see a black crow head rear its way out of my mouth quite forcefully. I couldn't help but launch my eyes open to see it, but before I could analyze it quickly left my mouth. I shut my eyes and tried to pretend nothing happened.

"Reimi, link with mine," said a hoarse voice. Was that what the crow sounded like? I don't know if my ears can handle much more of that. Link with him? How do I...

"It's the same as summoning, just attach a piece of your magic to me."

I thought about the concept of what the crow was saying, and before I realized my vision shifted from black to life. Wait, I'm looking through the crows' eyes! How is this happening? The crow turned his head to show me, laying unnaturally stilll next to Astrid. I could see a faint purple thread connecting my body to this crow. This is great, but won't people see us?

"Hey, could you go around the room?" I said.

The crow dashed towards the front of the house. Did he not hear me? Just before smashing into the front wall, he stopped.

"Oh, sure."

"Wait, how come you heard me just now?"

No response. The crow turned around and slowly surveyed the room. Everything was actually quite cozy, with a full wooden interior with two big windows overlooking the whole place. There were two beds, a fireplace, and a small kitchen. Definitely doesn't seem like a place of permanent residence, whoever brought us here isn't from around here.

"Because your voice has to travel through the thread," the crow said.

My vision shifted to Astrid, and thankfully she seemed fine. I do wonder why both of us burnt out so quickly before. I guess for me it makes more sense, but Astrid? I know she has way more stamina and energy than this. Gosh, maybe something is wrong.

"To stop this problem you just need to make a stronger connection, just strengthen the thread."

Strengthen the thread? Just like I would with channeling energy into my hands or anywhere else in my body, I tried to do the same with this thread. Treating it like an extension of myself, which I guess technically it is. Got it! I don't know what'll happen if I dump too much energy into this thread, so I'll just give a steady amount.

"Good work. You're more competent than everyone else believes" the crow said.

"Eh? Well, thanks?"

The crow turned around and... phased through the wall?

"How did you-"

"We're creatures of void energy, no one but you can see us. We also have these— unique properties."

"Could you explain?"

He flapped his wings down hard and burst up into the sky, now keeping a steady pace.

"It would take too long, besides you'll learn them all over time."

Ugh, I hate that answer. I guess he's right though, I haven't had too much trouble picking up on a lot of these magic-based things. So I'm sure I'll get the answers I'm looking for, eventually. The crow cast his head down and looked upon this gigantic street. This was... unbelievable. The world never ceases to amaze me.

A great stone walkway trailed along this area, guiding our vision. Older buildings lined the bottom, but the further your eyes travel the more modern buildings became. The stone was almost pearly white, and lush greenery adorned the whole place. Vibrant leaves and flowers stuck to people's houses, making this place seem like nature's paradise. There were so many various islands floating in the sky, each of different sizes. I bet they all had their own things going on.

At the center of this island was a massive castle, not affected with any wear or tear at all. This has to be the Domain of Waves, and that must be where the archon stays. I need to wake Astrid up.

"Hey crow, let's head back," I said.

"Sure thing."

As the crow started his descent back towards the house, I spotted something familiar. Someone familiar...

Mira?! How was she even here, and why?

I noticed her mask and hair immediately, but there was something off. They were walking down the walkway fast, but Mira looked like she was trying to slow them down. There were four huge knights trailing her. They had to be near nine feet tall, covered in what looked to be silver armor. They were practically glowing with the sun reflecting against them and in front of them was... a small woman? At least she looked small from here. What's going on..?

"Reimi, please wake up. We need to go-" Astrid said.

She's awake?

"Crow we need to move, now."

"Disconnect your link with me, it's faster," he said.

I absorbed any residue magic I could and cut the connection. The second I did my body jolted up and sprung out of bed.

"Astrid!"

"Shit Reimi, I don't think we have time to move," Astrid said while reaching for June. "We'll figure out what's going on together, but right now, get ready for a fight."

The all too familiar white mask peered through the window, knights, and woman in tow.

"Reimi, get down!" Astrid started casting a barrier.

The brittle cracks lasted only a second before the windows shattered open. I ran ahead of Astrid, taking quite a few cuts from the flying glass. Fire shot through my arms, black flames now covering my hands. Heh, it's my turn now. I slam my fists together and melt away the entire front of the house, taking most of the glass with it.

Wait, water? There was a huge wall of blue where the wooden wall once was. It all fell together, disappearing once colliding with the ground. The short woman stood at the front, with an odd smile plastered to her face.

"So, you're the Voidwalker? I'm Arlo, nice to meet you~"