“It’s still worth trying, no?” Tina wondered out loud.

  “And it requires direct input from someone with matching affinity,” the dark-skinned lady added.

  The implications of that were obvious. Someone would have to stay behind until the last second, forgoing their chance at escaping in time if things didn’t go according to plan.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not confident in my ability to restore the core before it breaks. It’s much harder than creating it in the very beginning. Even with my darkness affinity being so high. The risk is too great,” Abyss said what they all assumed individually.

  They stared at the giant, unstable sphere before them with looks of pity and sorrow. It hurt to know that they had exhausted their options and changed nothing in the end. A grand quest to free the realm turned into a rush towards its annihilation. Should they have even interfered with the Nethernight Realm in the first place? If not for their actions, the residents would be able to live on. Sure, still clueless and under spiritual restriction, but alive. And perhaps their creator would have figured something out a couple of thousand years later.

  Asterios took a peek at his lovers but didn’t say anything. He wasn’t planning to, and even if he had, their expressions would have stopped him anyway. Maybe in the past, it would have been different, but in the current day, he had too much to lose on such a gamble. His life wasn’t just his anymore. He had to swallow this bitter taste of defeat for the sake of his family and everyone under his care.

  Yet, worse than that was the knowledge that he had failed not even Abyss, but his precious friend. Umbra floated a step ahead of them, silently gazing into the core since their arrival, uninterested in taking part in their conversation. This failure must have affected him greatly. And Asterios felt horrible because of this, not knowing what to say to comfort his dear companion.

  The Lord of Darkness chose that moment to turn around, their gazes meeting.

  “Master. Let’s break the contract.”

  Chapter 38

  The Rebirth

  “No!” Miria practically screamed into everyone’s ears. “You can’t do that!”

  Her outburst was warranted, however. No one had expected to hear those words, and they all were shocked to the core by the sudden request from their shadowy friend. It didn’t take long for them to figure out the implications. There was only one reason Umbra would ask to be let go.

  “What do you think—”

  “Miria.” Asterios raised his hand to gently signal his feline mate to wait, and she obediently listened, albeit not too happy about it, her expression still twisted in fury. “Why?”

  She couldn’t understand how her master could be so calm in this situation. Even the other girls were getting angry. She could feel it through their bond. They didn’t show it as openly as she had, but they definitely disapproved of this sacrifice in their own way.

  Umbra peered at the core again. “It is a well-known fact, and one you have already experienced multiple times in the past, Master, that the Summoner is troubled with intense pain when their familiar ceases to exist through various lethal means. And that pain rises along with the strength of the connection. The connection I consider deeply developed between the two of us. Like nothing else in my long life before.”

  Miria wanted to interject and use that argument to counter his silly request, but Asterios continued to prevent her from interfering.

  “I don’t want you to suffer this pain a third time, Master,” the Duke added somberly. “That is why I ask you to annul our agreement and let us part on good terms, as friends, companions. If I fail, this world will cease to exist anyway, so there’s no use for the slight chance that I might reincarnate after returning to my home, bringing the possibility of another meeting in the future, even without any valuable memories.”

  He remained silent for a moment after finishing.

  “No.” Asterios broke the silence, causing Umbra to look back at him. “I reject your request.”

  The distressed panthergirl sighed in relief, and so did a few of the girls. The situation was back under control.

  “You have offered to free me back in Kori’s chamber, have you not?” The Duke tilted his head. “What changed?”

  “That was different.” Asterios smiled fondly. “Even if you weren’t part of our Summoning circle anymore, you weren’t gone. And you had Kori by your side to keep you company. I’m sorry, but I won’t let you die alone. You are someone precious to me.”

  The ladies nodded strongly in agreement, showing their support for his words.

  Umbra’s humanoid form sighed deeply. “So, in the end, I have no chance of convincing you to let me try, no matter how confident I am in succeeding.”

  “I wouldn’t believe you about that in the first place. But, you are misunderstanding,” Asterios replied, causing his shadowy familiar to frown. “I’m not trying to stop you. If this is the day when the story of the Great Duke of Umbra ends, I want to stand close and witness it firsthand, offering my bond with you as comfort and courage.”

  Miria blanched instantly.

  No.

  No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

  That wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

  “Although, before that happens, I keep wondering about one thing,” her beloved master continued, breaking her out of her panic. “Not to sound rude, but from our days spent together, I didn’t take you for someone… selfless. You do care for your close companions, but sacrificing yourself for the sake of others? Why?”

  Umbra turned to the whooshing dark violet surface once more.

  “At first, I detested this place with my entire being, as much as I abhorred the source of the seal that kept us trapped in this grim dimension. I would have been happy to sneak outside and watch this world crumble into nothingness, removing it from my memory to cleanse it from this filth. I cared for nothing else but my own freedom,” he recounted.

  Cocking his head to the back, he took a deep breath.

  “Yet, from the moment our paths crossed, things began to change. Slowly. Not much in the beginning. But a lot quicker after we encountered the Creator,” the Lord of Shadows added. “That revealed complexity I didn’t expect or think about before. I learned the Myth of Creation and the Tale of the Fall, starting to view everything in a new light.”

  He cursed after realizing the irony of his last expression.

  “And then we began our quest to break these chains that kept my people prisoner in this realm. Once more, this journey revealed depths that escaped my mind, malicious schemes that would make my blood boil if I had any. We’ve always been victims, but no one would have predicted the origins of our predicament. A petty trick made by some insecure brat.” Umbra scoffed to the side.

  Then, he met Ast’s gaze again.

  “This place has its fair share of bastards that should be put down immediately, for the good of everyone else, but it’s also full of those who don’t deserve to disappear overnight without a word of warning. I can understand the unwillingness of the Creator to take this risk and don’t blame her, and neither do I blame you, Master. But there are three individuals sharing the core’s affinity here. And one of them is interested in trying their luck at the supposedly impossible task. Who knows? Maybe he will succeed and turn into a god strong enough to challenge the idiot who dared to make a toy out of his home,” Umbra finished with a sneer, closing his palm into a fist.

  “And it’s definitely not so that you can prove to us that you can be more useful than we think you are?” Asterios raised a brow at his dear companion.

  The Duke snorted lightly. “No. Not entirely, at least. It would be a decent way of making a significant contribution to this quest, wouldn’t it? Alas, that wasn’t my main goal. So, was that convincing enough of a reason to take on this suicidal mission?”

  Asterios smirked softly. “Your reasons are your own. I might not always be happy with them, but I do respect you. And I can understand you too. No matter how much I would hate Kraedorion, I have no doubt I would rush back to defend my homeworld from serious threats without a second thought. As they tend to say, with great power comes great responsibility. And I’m not the same old Weakest Summoner anymore.”

  “There’s always a bigger fish,” Selene commented quietly, evoking a few chuckles from everyone at both of their references.

  “I don’t want you to go, but I want you to succeed.” He turned more serious. “You are not just my familiar but also part of my entourage. If I’m not going to jump in personally to fix this issue, you can bet I will send all the energy of the freshly stimulated Onyx lineage right into you through our connection. I’m a True Dragon. That has to mean something. I have surprised Abyss multiple times and gone against that man’s preparations here and there. If there is one thing that tends to turn the norms on the head, that’s my kin. Therefore, you will have my full support no matter what you say. Be it the Summoning Contract or the Draconic Bond, they stay. I don’t care how much it might hurt in the event of your failure.”

  Umbra and Asterios continued to stare at each other intensely.

  “Master…” Miria’s quiet, hesitant voice reached Ast’s ears, and he glanced at his sweet mate.

  She looked heartbroken as she approached closer over an invisible floor. He willed himself to change back, and the dark mist covered his figure for a moment as he returned to his more human visage, allowing the sad panthergirl to snuggle into the crook of his neck the way she used to when feeling down.

  “However.” He raised his gaze from her adorable, rounded ears to find his familiar’s eyes. “It might not be as easy to convince them to let you go.”

  The girls filled in behind him, all gazing upon the ominous butler. Umbra swallowed thickly under their intense scrutiny. They were not happy with him. And he had witnessed enough situations where the women weren’t happy with his master’s actions, including the aftermath or a few. It was a different battle to fight, one he respected his master for undertaking and surviving each time, even coming out victorious now and then.

  Silvia rubbed her forehead while shaking her head. “I wish I could tell you off, but I understand too, and can’t be a hypocrite. I would run back to my father’s kingdom at the first sign of danger, risking my life at the frontlines too.”

  “Same here.” Selene nodded solemnly. “The moment I would sniff a single hair of that bitch Kaguya anywhere close to our mountain, no artificial realm-wide seal would stop my rage. I’m sure the rest of us can find something that would evoke similar emotions.”

  It was true. Even Miria could feel the need to defend her home, as hard as it was to accept the gamble her precious friend was going to make. No one blamed her either. She was one of the most emotional individuals among them. It was nothing to be ashamed of.

  On the contrary, such compassion was an amazing quality. That compassion was what had led her to Asterios, and as a result, started their entire story. None of them would be here if not for Miria, potentially never meeting or developing things with Asterios this far.

  The surrounding rock shook heavily, more massive cracks appearing in the stone above them.

  “Is this your final decision?” Asterios addressed Umbra one last time.

  Umbra looked between them and the core, squaring up his shoulders. “Yes. I apologize. This is something I feel I must do.”

  They shared a silent nod.

  Abyss floated closer to Umbra, and he tensed up. She stared at him for a good while, not saying a word.

  “I’m proud of you, Brave Shadow.” She finally spoke with a regal aura. “It looks like the scholars of the universe were right. There’s no greater achievement than the creation surpassing its creator. I believe in you. Now, prove to me what strong entities had this harsh environment nurtured. This gift might aid you in it.”

  It looked like she simply bopped him on the nose, but judging by how his entire form reacted, it was something much more significant. A few seconds were necessary for Umbra to recollect himself and take control of his shape once again. When he was done, he shared one more glance with everyone in Ast’s party and turned towards the core. Abyss snapped her fingers, and they were teleported outside.

  Things didn’t look good out there. It was impossible to spot from so deep down, but massive canyons and breaches pretty much segmented parts of the terrain into floating cliffs held relatively in place by the realm’s source and its spiritual pull. The moment the heart of the dimension would implode, they would be launched into space in all directions, if they didn’t crumble into dust from the force of the explosion.

  The only good thing that would come out of that would be the fact that the Golems were going to suffer the same fate. They were currently gathered beneath the group, still fighting with entire battalions of the Nethernight Resistance. It wasn’t clear for what reason, but perhaps they were instructed to rush to this position and eliminate the threat until no living being remained in sight. Their fellow construct that had initiated the entire protocol wasn’t amongst them anymore, so this wasn’t a rescue mission.

  Asterios gasped quietly, all eyes turning his way.

  “I lost him,” he revealed. “This must be how the others felt when we disappeared into this realm, cut off from being able to contact us. I can still sense our connection, so it’s not the end. But, it isn’t a good sensation either.”

  “I’m guiding our courageous friend as much as I can. Continue supplying him with your energy. That’s all we can do now. Besides watching this last struggle of a cursed world,” Abyss said, closing her eyes.

  Doing the same, Asterios focused as much as he could too. Outside, his form switched back into the new draconic humanoid shape and went a step further. The mist wafting off the lines between his scales pooled over them, turning him into a flickering shadow, just like the True Dragon avatar he had assumed in the pit and after. Shadowflame, it was called. The ominous black haze.

  The world rocked more and more as the core’s stability plummeted by each minute. Thankfully, the seal’s power was nearly empty, the golden patterns losing almost all their glow. Many beams stopped functioning, with only a few possibly still going, those that had started the last. In just a bit, the cursed barrier would collapse. But so would the dimension, most likely.

  As the tremors intensified and the breaches riddled every bit of the land below, the fighting gradually ceased too. Many groups and individuals sensed the approaching end, choosing to pray and worship the Savior. This new religion had definitely been brought forth by the light worshippers. Circles formed on the ground and chanting filled the air, although unable to overcome the loud noise of the progressing apocalypse.

  Without a warning, everything went silent. Even the residents paused their prayers, confused, hopeful that their pleas had been answered.

  Then, a massive explosion hit everything and everyone at once. Abyss’ bubble shielded Ast’s group from the worst of it, but not everyone was so lucky. The blast shattered the miniature planet and launched the pieces into the seal. It was at the end of its wits, so the barrier crumbled into a million shards with the sound of glass breaking, popping like a soap bubble.

  The core of the world was revealed for all to see, surrounded by fragments of the rock that previously made the Nethernight Realm. It pulsed, bubbled, and twisted chaotically, approaching a second, final explosion. And since not many segments had made it further than the edge of the broken seal, everything would suffer from the almighty blast.

  “Is that it?” Miria asked quietly, watching the events unfold alongside her sister-mates. “Did it… fail?”

  No one answered her, unable to know for sure. The signs weren’t too positive, though. Yet, Asterios and Abyss kept their focus. Their master’s expression was strained and full of determination. Things couldn’t have ended yet.

  “Look!” Tina pointed downwards. “Something is happening!”

  They latched on to that small hope and peered into the heart of the realm. If their eyes didn’t deceive them, small tendrils of black smoke extended out of the sphere like living and conscious tentacles. Well, they might have looked tiny from this far away, but it was obvious they were the size of an entire mountain.

  Without prior warning, these tentacles shot outwards, slithering between the crushed bits of the crust and mantle. Reaching the shattered surface, they wound themselves around the pieces and pulled them back. Bit by bit, the escaping sections were returning to their previous spots, more or less. The planet was being reassembled, minus a few scraps lost in the transition.

  When the core was kind of covered again and the terrain resembled fairly restored land, more darkness flooded from the leftover breaches and canyons. It pooled inside and around them, slowly but surely. After a few minutes, the shadows dissipated, revealing solid ground beneath their cover. All the holes were regenerating from the inside, healing right before their very eyes. And the eyes of many locals.

  In about fifteen minutes, the realm looked whole. The residents were starting to cheer for their survival, sure that the worst had passed. Plus, there was no sign of the golden cage in the sky. They must have felt the freedom already, the chains tying them down to this place gone forever. Just a bit longer and their world would be better than it ever had been.

  But whatever Umbra had initiated, it wasn’t finished.

  The thick tendrils of darkness reappeared from a number of circular holes in the surface, shooting far and wide into space, clearly aiming for something. They retreated one by one, stopping around the same point in the air. Ast’s group watched their movements and actions with rapt attention, curious and intrigued about what was happening.

  When they understood, their eyes widened greatly.

  Those returning tendrils had brought back the scattered white fortresses. Or what was left of them after the Golems detached themselves. And that was the tubular channels through which the beams had passed during the apocalypse.

  Why would these be back?