Viktor ate ravenously from the back seat of the minivan. He devoured the food as if he had never eaten in his life. Even the sounds he made while chewing were desperately greedy.
"Damn. This is way better than what they have at the camp."
The three youngsters watched him with blank expressions. No one knew where to look. It was a little unpleasant to watch someone eat like that.
Chewing on a piece of meat—tender, juicy, and salty—Viktor glanced toward the driver's seat, where Nova was.
"You could've told Ada to make the stew. Her cooking is the best."
"Why don't you ask her yourself? She's been waiting for you to visit for a week now."
Viktor froze, a guilty expression crossing his face.
The boy wasn't lying. Viktor is the kind of man who rarely keeps his promises, much less his own responsibilities. To begin with, he doesn't make promises to anyone.
"Yeah. You're right," Viktor said, almost in a whisper.
Without giving it any more thought, he kept eating until the small wooden box was completely empty. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and sighed in satisfaction.
'I guess it's time to change plans…'
Nova's gaze turned calculating. As he watched the two girls through the rearview mirror, he nodded, hoping they would understand. In retrospect, Nova had only told Viktor they would be on the outskirts of the city, not that they would join the incursion.
To watch other Empaths battle Aberrations, it was necessary to go deep into the city near the mountain range, but Nova didn't trust Viktor to allow that.
Sure, the man was a bit irresponsible, but he wouldn't let his recruits die in an impossible battle. Not to mention that protecting them would become impossible halfway through a fight.
Understanding the leader's hint, Miyu decided to take the first step.
"Hey, Viktor, how many Empaths at your level are in the incursion?"
Nova smiled calmly, knowing the feline girl had asked the right question.
To Viktor, it seemed like an obvious one.
"Only four came: Arthur, Bella, Skyla, and Magnus. The others are still busy defending their cities. Since I'm the only one without a large faction, I figured it'd be a good idea to come."
A logical thought, really.
'I see… Looks like Dimension and Atom just didn't feel like showing up.'
As the largest factions in the country, it could be said their egos were just as large. That way of thinking annoyed Nova a little.
It was like: "If it's not really important, I don't care."
If you have the power to help others, then damn it—do it! Drop the stupid ego! It was obvious why Nova was the only one who answered Dimension's call that night.
And because of things like that, New Europe was the way it was. Arrogant, selfish people—even in this era—were extremely unpleasant.
But Nova didn't feel any particular hatred toward those kinds of people. He was incapable of truly hating others. Those emotions, diluted by Serenity, were a complex matter altogether.
"You know how it is. When someone needs help, I'll be there to help. That way I can prevent more people from dying because of the Aberrations," Viktor said.
'Yeah. I guess that's a good way to think about it.'
Nova looked toward the city looming ahead. All those buildings were empty because of the Aberration threat.
A beautiful city, endangered by something that came from outer space…
"Don't you think that's a dangerous way of thinking?" Elara asked.
Even though she agreed with what the Master said, she always made a point of questioning both her own thoughts and those of the people close to her.
Viktor laughed. While putting away the leftovers, he said with a soft chuckle:
"Yeah. It is. But isn't being an Empath even more dangerous?"
It was worth taking the risk to keep the world from suffering more. However, to achieve that, it was the Empaths who had to suffer for others.
Nova found it amusing. He smiled, hands on the steering wheel.
'He's right. It's more profitable to get your ass kicked by an Aberration than to let other people die. I approve of that mindset.'
At least it wasn't the boring mentality of leaving everything to others.
"By the way, Uncle. Maia looks worried. You left her alone on top of the statue."
"Ah! Right. Start the car and follow me. I'll take you to the camp."
Viktor left the vehicle immediately and leapt all the way up to the statue. Jumping twenty meters into the air like it was nothing was pretty awesome too!
The girls looked at Nova. He thought the same thing. It was amazing what a quick conversation could accomplish. They had distracted Viktor from the danger of being here, and that allowed them access to the camp.
The three of them raised their thumbs, victorious over their master plan.
It was just luck…
What they didn't know was that Viktor, as he climbed onto Maia's back, smiled in satisfaction because he had everything calculated. Right now, there was no safer place than a camp full of Elite Empaths.
Maia spread her wings and rose into the air. Nova started the car, and together they headed toward the camp.
From inside the trunk—which was open this time—Rober let the wind mess up his hair.
"Awesome… This is the real deal."
The boy was calmer and more relaxed than anyone else there. That was a good thing, since Rober got angry very easily and became unbearable when that happened.
***
They crossed the city in just a few hours. When they left the road leading toward the mountain range, the mountains began to rise from the ground all the way into the clouds. Everything was green and full of trees, but the flowers disappeared the closer they got to the camp.
The tires scraped against the cobblestone road, producing a soft sound that blended with the rustling leaves brushed by the wind.
This had turned into a short forest path, but…
Nova narrowed his eyes, sensing a deep, dense energy that crushed everything around it with a suffocating sensation that "smelled" like danger.
Miyu and Elara looked overwhelmed. The feline girl felt like she had experienced something similar before. Then she remembered what Viktor had said about the energy.
"Didn't Viktor say the energy was already running out?"
Clenching her fist with a troubled expression, Elara said:
"That's what he said, but…"
The Calem energy emanating from the mountain range was immense. Did Viktor think it was little just because he was already too strong? That was likely—but there was something far more sinister lurking deep within.
Nova experienced something similar, except he didn't feel intimidated. Instead, he felt a strange familiarity with the energy. That happened to most Empaths, since they were sensitive to the planet's energy signatures.
'This is more than I expected. If we get to see something, I don't think it'll be that exciting…'
What if instead of witnessing an epic battle, they saw a massacre? They would be part of that massacre!
From the trunk, Rober growled, frowning. The fluffy fur of his canine tail bristled, and a heavy sensation clenched his heart.
"I'm not backing down now. I'm already here!"
He slammed his fist into his palm. Small flames burst out, only to be extinguished by the wind from the moving vehicle.
Looking down, he could see the road markings rushing past beneath the wheels.
Back with Nova, the boy looked up. Maia and Viktor were still there. The shadow of the great reptile blurred beneath the white clouds.
'I feel like something bad is happening.'
He glanced at the rearview mirror. Apparently, he wasn't the only one with that bad feeling.
The girls were slowly raising their guard. In fact, Elara had her hand on the adjacent seat, where there was a button that opened the trunk from the inside. She was ready to put on her armor.
Miyu's eyes glowed with the orange color of Anticipation. Future Vision did its job, showing a brief glimpse of the future—only three seconds ahead.
She saw it.
"A portal is about to open!"