Far from the kingdom, tucked within the dark and rumoured haunted forest on the outskirts of Oceania, Jasher returned to the small hut he'd found himself in when he first arrived in Teralu. He knocked against the heavy wooden door, and an older man pried open the door with withered hands, cursing under his breath at the weight and drag of the dilapidated door that scraped across the old floorboards.
The male halted everything when his withered eyes fell upon Jasher. "Is it really you, my boy? It's been far too long. You don't come to see me often, ever since dropping off the young princess."
Jasher's expression softened into familiarity, nodding in agreement. "I should come by more often, but it's hard to get a moment to myself when I'm busy working for the king. It's good to see you, too, Rufus. I've missed you dearly, old friend."
Rufus smiled as he stepped back from the door frame, letting the two enter the humble shack. "To what do I owe the pleasure, my boy? Has young love struck too hard that you can no longer stay away?"
Jasher's face flushed heavily, leaving him to sputter and clear his throat. "You have things mixed up. I brought Safire home after finding her at the fire festival. If we could have a moment of privacy, I'd like to discuss something of utter importance with her."
Rufus let out a soft nasalled huff of amusement, turning to return to his rickety rocking chair. "Just call if you need anything. You're always welcome at my sanctuary, Jasher. No matter how long you've been gone."
Jasher took Safire's hand, leading her toward her room. Once the door was closed, Jasher admired how Safire decorated his old room. "It's good to be home. You've made this place look really good. Now, onto the Nexus issue. Why does he want to merge you two? More importantly, how is he going to gain this power from two humans?"
Safire sighed as she stood by the window. "This deity came to me in my unconscious state. The reason why Nexus was banished from the Inbetween is because he separated a human soul. According to our new ally, separating a soul causes it to be susceptible to dark magic. But that's only observed in one world."
Jasher frowned in confusion. Safire continued. "Having our souls separated on two different planes didn't stop the connection. Much like Rhudy, I've always felt like I'm missing something to be whole. The moment we spoke, it was as though everything I'd lost was suddenly back again. Our connection remained, meaning our souls continued to link to one another throughout the Inbetween. That level of connection means that once Rhudy returned to Teralu, the cosmic energy that was absorbed into the fragments of our separated souls was absorbed."
Jasher shook his head in turmoil, unable to grasp what Safire was telling him. "I'm lost already. So your souls were separated, but still connected somehow? And... whatever connected you, absorbed – magic of some kind?"
Safire nodded weakly. "That's the abridged version, yes. Imagine if you have a sheet of fabric, and you rip it in two, but the separated sections remain connected by a thread. Now, you pour water over that thread and bring the two pieces together, pressing the thread against the pieces. What happens to the water?"
Jasher's eyes widened in realisation. "The water is absorbed into the two sheets of fabric. Whatever connected you two together went from Teralu, through the Inbetween and into Earth. The connection that was running through the Inbetween was absorbing... whatever is in there, and when you two met, it gave you powers?"
Safire shook her head. "Not yet. The reason why Nexus doesn't want us to touch is because the water from the thread cannot absorb into the fabrics until the materials meet. We have yet to touch one another. But I believe once we do, we will be able to access this power. That's what Genis told me."
"Genis?" Jasher furrowed his brows. "I'm assuming that's the deity that you spoke with? I had only met Nexus, so I'm not well-versed with the other deities that dwell in the Inbetween. So, this thing is going to help you?"
Safire grinned, crossing her arms as she stared at Jasher in amusement. "I'd be careful who you call a 'thing.' Genis is here with us." Jasher felt a cold chill rip through his spine. His attention shifted toward the bed as a deep indent pressed down against the bed, as though someone leaned their knee against the mattress. Jasher jerked back, throwing himself onto the ground in shock and surprise.
Safire chuckled in amusement. "Genis is going to help me gain access to the magic that Rhudy and I can share. It's never been explored before, but I know that if our power can really be accessed... I can fix my mistakes."
Safire slid her glove from her arm, revealing the decay that had taken hold of her hand, crawling up against her wrist like an infectious disease. Jasher's face warped with pain as he scrambled to his feet, taking Safire's hand into his own. "You've been fucking with black magic?! Safire, how could you?"
"You promised that you'd be here to protect me. I hardly see you anymore. It's just me and Rufus most days, and if he can't protect us – someone has to. I took the initiative to ensure we'd remain undetected by the Oceranian patrols. They've been coming closer and closer. I had to do something." Safire turned her gaze away, pulling her hand free from Jasher's grasp.
Jasher felt his heart begin to ache at the sight, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to... I really am sorry. I didn't know about the patrols, but I'll convince Vatic to pull the rotations from this deep into the forest. I never wanted you to go this far to feel safe."
Safire's sadness repressed into acceptance, forcing a smile upon her face. "It's what I've always done. Adapt, accept, and find a better solution for the future. I have a real chance to undo the damage. The rest is up to you. I need you to convince Rhudy to come see me again. We must physically touch. Tell her the truth, let her know I'm not here alone. Genis wishes to see her as well."
"You really trust this guy?" Jasher's voice lowered cautiously. Safire nodded her head with a gentle grin. Jasher sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll tell her that you want to see her again, but I don't think that she's going to want to see me right now."
"Yes, I've heard that you haven't been entirely truthful to the Otherworlder. Now is the time to make up for that downfall unless you want to lose her. Genis filled me in on why that might be a difficult chore. But I can see a way to escape Nexus with Rhudy's help. We might be able to use our gift to subdue him, so apologise to her, and get her to just hear us out. That's all I need from you."
Jasher felt relief flood his system, nodding his head obediently. "Yeah, I've been a fucked up friend to her. I'm the only connection to home that she has left, and all I've done is use her to serve my own agenda. I'll do what I can. I'll come see you more often, too. I swear."
Safire felt the relief overtake her. Her shoulders lowered like a weight had been lifted. "Thank you, Jasher. I'll eagerly await my other half's return with glee." Jasher approached the door, halting when he ran into something solid. There was a clear moment of bewilderment before Safire burst out laughing. "That's Genis. He's moved out of your way now."
"That... is terrifying. I'll be back with Ruby, I swear to you that I will. In the meantime, you might want to practice your pronunciation of her name. She hates when Odeen calls her Rhudy. R-U-B-Y. I don't want to see her getting upset with you."
Safire smiled delicately, mouthing the pronunciation quietly. "I'm sure I can get it right before she gets here. Thank you, Jasher. I knew from the moment that you said you could help me escape my arranged marriage, I could trust you. I'll see you soon, I hope."
"Not soon enough." Jasher creaked the door shut behind him, feeling a weight lift from his own shoulders. "Bye, Rufus. I'll be bringing another friend here to meet with Safire. Is that alright?"
Rufus hunched forward, groaning as he brought himself to his feet slowly. "As long as you're not bringing that tyrannous king to my abode, or anybody who affiliates themselves with him, I don't mind it."
Jasher chuckled in amusement. "You don't have to worry about that with Ruby. She's from Earth like I am, and she cannot stand Odeen. She has a ferocious disdain for him, so I believe that you're going to be safe for another day. Still not going to tell me what you did to have to go into hiding?"
"There's nothing that you need to know about me. My life is half over, so any sentence I could serve would be in vain. I just want to live the remainder of my days in blissful peace. And the princess has been quite the companion. You're a good boy, Jasher. Come see your old man more often."
Jasher grinned, ruffling through his companion's hair. "Still not going to let go of that adoptive dad title, huh? I'm 24 now, old man. Grown and entirely dependent on myself. You did your job, now relax."
"I found you when you were 17, didn't speak a lick of the language, and shook like a newborn pup. Don't tell me I can't be worried about the boy I raised into a fine young man. I'll see you again soon. Hopefully, before you put me in the ground."
"Just don't die in the next few days, and we shall meet again. Take care of yourself, Rufus." With that, Jasher left to return to the kingdom. Safire sat against her bed, letting out a deep sigh.
Genis wandered around her room, observing the different trinkets she'd collected in the year she was there. "It sounds like you have something on your mind, Safire. Do you need to discuss something with me?"
Safire ran her thumb across her decaying skin, feeling the weight of the world pressing down against her once again. "What if all these theories are wrong? What happens if Rhu- Ru...by and I touch, and we die? I still have a lot I need to learn. Much life left to live. I'm not sure if the gamble is worth it."
Genis turned toward Safire, exhaling deeply. "Nexus really got to you, didn't he? He knows what would happen if you unlock this power. You'd stop him from being able to re-merge your souls. Yes, while I agree, you two should never have been separated, that does not negate the fact that you two are already individuals. You belong apart now. I do not agree with Nexus, nor do I agree with Serina's demands. He belongs in exile. And if doing this causes my own banishment, so be it. Humans should never be messed with on any scale."
Safire squeezed her dress into her fist as she looked up at the long, blonde hair that flowed down Genis's back like a cascading wave, using every strand as a distraction from the swirling in her mind as she traced how the light almost pushed directly through the transparent figure. "Why was Nexus so clear when you're kind of see-through?"
Genis chuckled, flicking through Safire's book collection. "Because I am here in my physical body. This is what a deity looks like on the planes. Nexus was clear because his soul was separated from his body. The Inbetween is where we draw our power, so being away from my life source leaves me weakened. I'm still here physically, but my form is unstable in the dimensions outside of my realm."
"Why don't you just separate your soul from your body like Nexus did, then? Doesn't that hurt? Or at the very least, feel uncomfortable? It doesn't look pleasant. I'm not questioning your choices, but..." Safire sank into herself nervously.
Genis merely gave a reassuring smile. "Because I don't know how he did it. We have the ability to reach into mortals, play with their souls, even if it's outlawed to do so. But I never knew how Nexus managed to do it. Even if he's a traitor, he's smart." Genis gazed out the window, his expression wore thick with worry. "I hope we can win this."
-End of chapter 12-