The light of the teleport waypoint faded, and the familiar air of Pardis Dhyai wrapped around me. The first thing I noticed was the silence. No chatter. No footsteps. Just the rustle of leaves.
I frowned. "...Weird. Too quiet. Almost like the world's holding its breath."
I glanced at Greg, perched on my shoulder, and muttered, "Hey buddy… what did Zhongli feed you back there? Something cosmic? Or just rock candy?"
Greg flicked his tongue once, slow and smug, before crawling up to my head and settling there like he owned the place.
"Hmmm… don't want to share, huh? Fine. But that better be a good surprise, little guy. If you're hiding some world-ending power snack, I expect a full refund later." I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Man, it's like you're the only one enjoying life right now."
Greg adjusted himself, smugly curling around the top of my head like a crown. He tilted his head, tongue flicking toward the silent halls. I chuckled under my breath. "Yeah, I know. Creepy, right? Almost feels like someone pressed pause on the world."
For a moment, the world almost felt normal.
Almost.
The quiet pressed heavier the closer I walked to the heart of Pardis Dhyai. Something was missing. Lumine and the others had probably left long ago. The halls echoed with nothing but my footsteps. The emptiness nagged at me, like a half-finished thought scratching at the back of my skull. My gut told me it wasn't just silence—it was absence. Something had been ripped away.
That was when I saw her.
Haypasia.
She sat upright, calmer than when I last saw her. Relief flickered in me. I grinned and raised a hand. "Hey. Sup? Doing better now?"
Her eyes softened. She nodded. Her voice was gentle. "I am. Tighnari has been looking after me."
I nodded back, arms folding. "Good for you. You deserve a bit of peace after everything. Guy's a workaholic, but he's reliable. Probably nagged you about drinking enough water too, huh?"
But then… I stopped. My gaze locked on hers. Something flickered behind those calm eyes, a shadow that didn't belong. I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "He's still in your head, isn't he?"
Her breath caught. And then, as if my words had torn down the thin veil she was holding onto, she screamed. Her hands flew to her temples, her body writhing. Greg stiffened, hissing faintly, his tail lashing across my shoulder. I was already moving. I caught her before she could collapse, holding her steady as her voice broke into sobs of pain.
"Easy," I whispered, letting anemo flow through me. The wind circled around her, soothing, grounding. "I've got you. Just breathe. Don't let him win."
But then the current shifted, pulling me somewhere else.
And I saw him.
The vision sharpened in my mind's eye, and I smirked without hesitation. "Well, well, well… if it isn't the Foolish One's idiot lover."
Before me stood the Balladeer, draped in arrogance and lightning. His grin was as venomous as ever, but I didn't flinch. I tilted my head, one hand lazily in my pocket.
"Well, if it isn't the guy with bad fashion and unresolved mommy issues, Don't you ever get tired of being annoying?" I muttered. Greg flicked his tongue at the illusion, then looked down at me as if asking if he could spit at him. "Nah, buddy. Save it. He's not even worth the spit."
The Balladeer's smile twisted. "You dare mock me? Insolent worm."
I smirked wider. "Worm? You're one to talk. You're like a roach in cheap fabric—hard to get rid of, always showing up where you're not wanted, and somehow convinced you're the main character of the story."
His eyes burned. "You dare speak insolently upon a god?! You mindless fool!"
Thunder cracked. A bolt struck straight toward me, but I was already bracing. Geo coursed through my body, solid, immovable. The lightning splashed across my shield and fizzled away. Greg's tail flicked sharply, as if slapping away an annoying fly.
I laughed once, sharp and low. "That's it? That's your big entrance? You think your tiny spark can scratch me? You'll have to try harder than that. Honestly, I was expecting more drama. Where's the fireworks? Where's the 'kneel before me' speech? Don't tell me you're losing your touch."
His manic laughter echoed, his words dripping with delusion. "I am a new god. No mortal can oppose me. All will kneel before my reign."
I tilted my head, voice dripping with disdain. "You keep saying that like repeating it will make it true. Newsflash, thunder boy—Lumine's already walked circles around you, and I'm about to do the same. You'll always be a failure. Watch closely… because I'll be the one to smash you into pieces."
The Balladeer snarled, his voice rising. "You know nothing of divinity! You know nothing of the torment that birthed me! I am beyond your comprehension!"
"Oh, I comprehend just fine." My grin vanished, eyes narrowing into a glare. "You're a bitter child who never grew up. You lash out because you can't face yourself. You're not a god. You're just a tantrum dressed in lightning."
Greg flicked his tongue again, slow and deliberate, then turned his head away from the Balladeer as if even he couldn't be bothered. I almost laughed. "See? Even my lizard thinks you're pathetic. And he usually likes sparky things."
The Balladeer's lightning flared. "You mock me now, but when I tear your mind apart, you'll regret every word."
I stepped forward, voice low but steady. "Try me. But know this—no matter how many times you crawl back from whatever pit you came from, I'll always be here to knock you down again. You don't scare me. You never have."
Haypasia trembled in my arms, sweat soaking her brow. I laid her gently against the stone wall, brushing strands of hair from her face. "Rest. I'll handle this."
Greg climbed back down to my shoulder, flicking his tongue at the Balladeer before curling tight against me, ready. I smirked. "See? Even he knows this fight's mine."
Then I turned back toward the vision, my expression hardening. The air around me thickened, anemo swirling with a rising geo pulse beneath my skin. The ground trembled faintly underfoot, stone eager to answer my call.
"Prepare yourself, false god," I said, voice sharp as steel. "Your divine punishment is coming. And when it hits, it won't be from heaven—it'll be from me."
***
The air outside Pardis Dhyai was warm, carrying the scent of the forest. As I stepped out, I caught sight of Tighnari waiting near the path. His ears flicked when he noticed me.
"Oh, Shigeru, you're here. I haven't seen you for a while," he said, his tone light but his eyes sharp. "I could say a lot has changed in you."
I gave him a small smile. "I've been to hell and back. And here I am now, ready to show that foolish false god what true power is."
Tighnari studied me for a moment before nodding. "It seems like you've been through a lot. But I won't stall you any longer. The plan is underway. You better hurry."
I dipped my head slightly. "Yeah. And… hey, thanks, Tighnari. Haypasia is resting inside. You better check on her."
Tighnari's ears twitched, and his voice softened a fraction. "I will. Be careful, Shigeru. You're reckless, but… people are waiting for you now."
His words lingered in my mind as I moved to the nearby waypoint. The glow enveloped me, and when I opened my eyes again, I was near the Akademiya. A loud commotion reached my ears almost instantly—shouts, hurried footsteps, the crash of soldiers trying to maintain control. The city was already in turmoil.
A smirk crept across my face. "Seems like it's started. Well, guess we're fashionably late, huh?"
Greg was perched on my shoulder, tail swishing, his eyes narrowing at the chaos below like he was studying prey. I reached up and rubbed his head. "You ready, partner? Let's make this one flashy. We need an entrance that screams, 'We're back.'"
Greg tilted his head smugly, his throat vibrating with a faint growl. Almost like he was saying, about time you let me shine.
"Don't give me that look," I chuckled. "Fine, you show off first. Don't make me regret giving you the spotlight."
With that, Greg leapt down from my shoulder. His small body glowed, light rippling across his scales. My eyes widened as his form stretched and lengthened, his lizard body twisting into something far grander. Four legs, a long body coiled like a river, no wings yet he floated effortlessly in the air, golden light shimmering from his scales. My jaw dropped.
"Damn, buddy," I muttered, unable to hide my awe. "You received such a nice gift. I envy you."
Greg's eyes glowed, and for the first time, a voice echoed in my head, deep but familiar. "Master. It seems I can speak whenever I'm in this form. But I cannot maintain it for long… I still lack the mastery. Your cool-looking friend truly gave me amazing power."
I grinned wide and leapt up onto his back without hesitation. "Of course he did. After all, he's a great person. And you—you're looking cooler than me now. Don't get too used to it, alright?"
Greg chuckled, the sound rumbling through his long body. "Then let us go with a bang, Master… and surprise Nilou."
The corners of my lips tugged upward. "Heh. Couldn't agree more."
Greg surged forward, soaring through the air, his long body weaving like a river of light. The Akademiya came into view quickly, and below us I saw her.
Nilou.
She began to dance, movements graceful as water, radiant even in the chaos. My chest tightened. A single tear broke free and slid down my face. How did I survive without this sight for fourteen years? How did I not break sooner? The air around me throbbed with emotions I could no longer contain.
The scholars, the guards, the crowd—all their gazes turned upward toward us. I stood tall on Greg's back, anemo swirling around me. Geo crystals lifted from the air, orbiting me in slow weightlessness. As I stepped forward, it was as though I walked down from the sky itself.
Nilou's eyes locked on me. Tears welled, her hands flying to her mouth. My voice caught, but I managed a soft smile. "Goddess… I'm back."
She ran forward and leapt into my arms, hugging me tight. Her trembling shook me to my core. "Shigeru… you idiot… do you know how worried I was?" she whispered, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Every day, I kept asking myself if you were still alive. A whole week, not a word from you… Do you know how cruel that was?"
Her words stabbed deeper than any blade. Guilt pricked my chest, sharp and unrelenting. She waited. She prayed. She cried. And I hadn't been there. "I'm sorry. I should have sent a word, but I couldn't. I'm back now, Nilou. I won't let go again."
Her fingers clutched my shirt tightly, like if she loosened her grip, I'd vanish. "Don't disappear like that again… I thought I lost you." Her voice faltered, swallowed by another sob.
I ruffled her hair gently. "I promise, Goddess. Never again. You have my word." Pulling back just enough to look at her, I smiled. "Now… let's dance, shall we?"
Her eyes widened through her tears, but she nodded. "Here? Now?"
"Here. Now. With everyone watching. Let them see what it means to love you."
And so we did. There, in the heart of the Akademiya, we danced together. The world fell away—scholars, guards, the noise—all of it silenced. Only us remained. Her eyes never left mine. Mine never left hers. A smile traced both our faces, unbroken.
My thoughts whispered quietly: Even if the sky falls, even if the world burns, if I can hold this moment, I'll endure anything.
Nilou's tears glistened, but her movements never faltered. Her dance wrapped around me, a river of grace, and I moved with her—matching her steps fluidly, every motion flowing as though I had trained for this moment alone. She blinked in surprise before a watery laugh escaped her lips. "Shigeru… you can dance? You never told me."
I smirked through my own tears. "Guess I was saving my best performance for you. And right now, it's perfect."
She buried her face briefly against my shoulder mid-dance. "I thought you'd never come back," she whispered. "But you did. You kept your promise."
"And I'll keep it again and again, Nilou. As many times as it takes."
When the dance ended, I swept her into my arms. Her tears shone in the sunlight, but her smile was brighter. I leapt back onto Greg's head, steady beneath me.
"The performance is over," I said with a grin. "Let's go to Lumine now."
Nilou pressed closer to me, her smile unwavering though her eyes still shimmered with worry. "Okay. Just… don't make me wait like that again. Even if the whole world needs you, let me know I'm not forgotten."
Her words struck deep, and I held her tighter. "Never forgotten. Not you, Nilou. Not ever."
Greg rumbled deeply, a resonant sound rolling through his body as his eyes glowed. His voice echoed once more, calm but urging. "Master… time presses on. We must go."
I laughed and patted his head. "Alright, alright, buddy. Let's fly."
__________
End of Chapter 145
Quests Completed:
*Returned to Pardis Dhyai, where silence weighed heavier than words, a reminder of the void left by absence.
*Saw Haypasia's calm mask crack, caught her before she fell, and shielded her with wind and words.
*Faced the Balladeer's illusion with disdain and mockery, proving no false god could shake the disciple who endured the Adepti's trials.
*Saw Greg's form evolve into a shimmering serpent, proof of Zhongli's shard igniting something greater.
*Met Nilou's eyes through tears, promised her never to vanish again, and returned her embrace with word and action.
*In the very heart of turmoil, matched Nilou step for step, turning grief into grace, and fear into faith.
*Let the Akademiya, its guards, its scholars, and the watching crowd see what it meant to love Nilou without hesitation.
*Held Nilou's words close, the plea not to be forgotten, and swore again to never let her go.
Rewards:
*+1 Partner Evolution: Greg's Serpent Form (Temporary — duration limited)
*+1 Unique Ability: Serpent Flight (transport, entrance flair, massive style points)
*+1 Strengthened Bond: Nilou (Tears Shed, Worries Voiced, Love Returned)
*+1 Special Dance Skill (usable only with Nilou, effect: melts hearts instantly)
*+500 Crowd Reputation Points (half in awe, half in gossip)
*+1 Warm Tear on Shirt (Nilou's, priceless item)
*+1 Adepti Pride Confirmed (internal boost to resolve, permanent passive)
*+1 Greg Voice Access (limited form communication unlocked)
*+1 Public Entrance That Screams "We're Back"
Achievement Unlocked:
"The Sky-Dancing Disciple"-Return not just as a survivor, but as a disciple crowned by scales and light. Reunited with the one he loves in front of all, and dared to turn chaos into a stage for love.