"Where is this?" Sabine managed to speak out, unable to decipher the nature of the situation she was in.
"Welcome back, My child." Her father, Krueger said with undisguised elation.
"Welcome back from where?"
Isolde explained as she walked over to help her down the metal surface she was on, "You were dead until a few minutes ago."
Seeing her confusion another voice spoke to her, one she didn't think she would ever hear again.
"Miss Carpenter."
Sabine faced Celeste, a look of shock appeared on her face.
"Celeste?!"
Celeste bridged the distance between both of them and pulled her into an embrace, death having done nothing to diminish the lifetime of affection they both shared.
"I thought I would never see you again."
Sabine whispered, tears forming at the side of her eyes.
"Me too. I only came back recently.."
"How?" Sabine's face rose and met Celeste's.
Celeste said as she faced Ives,
"My Baby."
Sabine's eyes lit up, Ives once again fell under the spotlight.
"Ives?" Sabine said with warmth.
Ives lifted up a finger telling them to wait. Then without warning, he pulled out his leg with force shattering a large part of it as he separated the remaining tissue from the one fused with the marbled ground.
The horror on everyone's face was palpable.
Without so much as a stinch, Ives broke up the happy moment.
"We have to go now! We're not safe here."
Ives' figure blurred again before a rippling cascading wave erupted from his body, engulfing everyone present and just like that they were gone. Thirty minutes later the room was raided by order agents.
-----------
Their rendezvous occurred in the pocket dimension Ives had mainfested earlier.
"Is everyone okay?" Ives asked.
"Sure. I can get used to this." Krueger struggled to get up.
"We are fine." Celeste and Sabine both said.
Isolde stood silent, her eyes locked on Ives' still missing leg.
Seeing her worried look, Ives reassured Isolde.
"It's fine. I can make it grow back later."
Ives found a comfortable rock and leaned back on it, the constant use of his power coupled with the perilious situations he had to go through without rest had finally taken its toll.
Everyone's eyes were still set on Ives full of worry but none of them possessing the power necessary to help him in any meaningful sense.
"We can't return to Valkyren or at least I can't." Ives began.
"Why?" Krueger asked agitated.
"It's because of the order, Right?" Isolde added.
"The order?" Sabine was visibly tense.
"Are they those People who killed us?" Celeste's words added to the escalating tension in the air, the thought that these two died recently then came back made the situation feel too surreal but the cool breeze blowing told them that everything that was occuring was as real as their worry.
"Yes. I made sure that they thought I have been disposed of so they won't hunt any one of us, going back is no longer an option especially for you, Sabine." Ives grunted then sat up.
"Let's move overseas, I have space in my home." Krueger suggested.
"Brxit should be far enough, right?" Sabine asked.
"No. Even if we moved to another planet. It is only a matter of time before every we build vanishes in a puff of smoke..." then with a haunting expression he added, "....you can't even imagine what these people can do. I'm like this because I barely escaped being killed by their actions."
"Humph.. I beg to differ once we expose them. Everyone in the entire world will know, it won't be long till the law disposes of them."
Ives chuckled lightly then revealed, "They can change the past as in they can make it like nothing you did ever happened. A phone dial to their past selves and you will get a gunshot in the head when you left the shower this morning. Then your daughter. Then your granddaughter. Then me."
"Oh my god." Sabine's face paled and Krueger was left speechless.
"Everytime they use that method. The world containing the original set of events is obliterated, billions lose their lives as yhe and the universe itself ends. Then a new world containing the newly altered set of events becomes the base reality."
Celeste took a step back.
"And that's not even considering the fact that they have half the world in their pocket. Reporting to anyone will most likely end up with you getting erased silently." Ives' verdict was final.
"I got a call from my father." Isolde suddenly added.
All eyes focused on her.
"I don't know where he is. But he said that he was still living with us, his research was successful. I even heard my own voice over the phone but I couldn't reach him afterwards. I talked to Zeke, he said he would help me investigate it. I learnt that you died from him, he invited me to join the order."
"Your father?" Sabine stepped forward, her eyes beaming with expectation. Isolde nodded to affirm her statement was true.
"Then he was kidnapped?" Krueger asked.
Isolde nodded too.
"We'll find him. Don't worry." Celeste soothed Sabine.
"We'll leave that till a later date. Isolde see if you can still keep working with Zeke to track him down then try as much as you can to reach him again."
Ives handed them a black card.
"There's roughly a hundred million in this."
Ives dropped them off at Krueger's place in Brxit then returned to Selene's holiday manor.
"12:34 am. I made good time." Ives found himself conversing with himself, the playful mood of his mother rubbing off on him.
"Master Ives." Edward yelled when he saw him outside the gate in the snowy cold.
The gate was open and Ives entered, the house was still alive so deep in the night. The shock of a assassination attempt didn't allow them to be comfortable with vulnerability especially the one from restful sleep.
"The Bodyguards who died have they been carried off?" Ives asked Edward who was walking beside him.
"Yes."
"Good. I will see them tomorrow. Prepare that for me."
"You're late." Silva's harsh voice assaulted him from the top of the steps.
"I'm sorry. If it consoles you, I died again." Ives returned.
"Ives!" Rhea ran up and hugged him.
"Sorry. For being late." Ives apologised, more sincere with Rhea.
"It's fine. Mom has been waiting for you."
Ives followed them to Selene's room.
"Just a word of warning, someone you know is well not herself anymore."
Ives frowned hearing this but allowed the door to be opened.
"Beloved." Selene was elated to see him.
She walked from the balcony over to him, Ives wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss.
"Thank you for saving my children." Selene said affectionately to him.
"No problem." Ives had his bath and had a late dinner before retiring to his room on his way there all the staff including the bodyguards bowed reverently as he passed fully acknowledging him as the lord of the house but Ives didn't know if that was appropriate since Silva seemed to want her father back.
Ives entered the room and revelled in the silence, the moonlight peered through the massive glass windows bathing the enormous room with its holy glow.
It was beyond peaceful.
It almost felt as if it was unlikely that there was a chance that all this could disappear if the order wished.
'In order to stop that, I have to defile time or at least find a way to block future alterations from occuring.' Ives steeled himself.
His newly regenerated leg was still sensitive so he moved slowly in order not to be overwhelmed by the sensation of just walking.
He prepared for an uneventful evening and had a few hours of sleep when he woke in the night, he woke to a knock.
It was Catley, the head maid.
"Miss Arman is inviting you to her quarters."
Ives arrived at the door of her room and entered, it was dark. The lock clicked behind them, the head maid Catley removed her clothes.
"Please enjoy our care."
Selene, Rhea and Silva stepped out of the shadows naked as the day they were born.
"I knew it." Selene kissed him deeply.
"It's a gift, the girls wanted to give you."
All the women turned their asses to him showing him the buttplugs plunged inside.
Selene wiggled hers.
"Let's play, Master."