Bronya and Aleph woke up slowly.
For a few seconds, neither of them realized they were still hugging on the couch, but when they did, a blush rose to their cheeks almost simultaneously. They awkwardly pulled apart.
"Sorry." Aleph murmured as he stood up.
He was about to leave when he felt Bronya's hand grasp his. He looked at her, confused.
"Goodbye."
At that moment, she hugged him and left a kiss on his cheek before he could react.
Bronya had already sped away.
...
Back at the Goethe Hotel, Aleph barely crossed the entrance when he ran into Dan Heng, calmly drinking tea.
Closer by, March and Stelle were staring at him with dark expressions.
"I caught you!" March exclaimed, one hand on her hip, dramatically pointing at him. "Today, the incomparable heroine, March 7th, will bring you to justice for cheating on Stelle with Bronya!"
Stelle looked at her, puzzled by what she was talking about. Dan Heng sighed and put a hand on his forehead.
Aleph felt a cold sweat trickle down his brow.
Without wasting time, he led the three of them to his room.
...
Once inside, Aleph took his time to clear up the misunderstanding. March blushed when she realized Aleph had done nothing improper with Stelle.
"Then why did you take so long at the hotel?" March asked suspiciously, trying to regain ground.
That question made Stelle look at him with harder eyes.
Sometimes seeing was better than telling—Aleph understood that principle quite well.
"Huh? Exhibitionist!" March shouted as she saw what he was doing.
So Aleph simply took off his coat and shirt.
The golden cracks running across his chest from the center were exposed, glowing faintly under the light.
Dan Heng frowned and stood up to come closer. Aleph shuddered as his friend's fingers traced his chest.
"Please don't be so rough... that area is a bit sensitive."
Ignoring his words, Dan Heng focused on the sensation transmitted by the energy emanating from those cracks. Originally, he thought that after absorbing vitality the way he did and directly consuming part of the Ambrosia Tree, Aleph was now suffering from Mara, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was the energy of the Stellaron.
"Since you've decided to show us this, I suppose there must be a reason beyond making us worry, right?"
Aleph nodded and proceeded to give them a summary.
"This is a consequence of absorbing a second Stellaron." He said, casting a glance at Stelle. "My body, as you know, like Stelle's, is capable of carrying a Stellaron inside."
And calling it "carrying" was barely a euphemism; Aleph had a strong suspicion that just as he harnessed the Stellaron's energy to boost his spells, Stelle could probably do something similar at some point.
He summarized what he and Burroughs had deduced.
First, the Stellaron from Luofu hadn't had time to settle deeply or expand its energy; meanwhile, the one from Jarillo-VI had been active for seven centuries, constantly releasing energy that filled the environment with the expansion of the Fragmentum.
That residual energy had permeated the planet, and by absorbing Jarillo-VI's Stellaron, Aleph had become the main beneficiary of it.
His body, like that of every living being, had a limit. If he hadn't absorbed the Luofu Stellaron, the load wouldn't have been so great.
But through his actions, he ended up causing an overload; it wasn't a stretch to say his body was like a glass filled to the brim, about to spill over.
March held her head with a confused look.
"I don't get it. Is Aleph now some kind of walking time bomb?"
Aleph slapped his forehead.
"Not exactly, but it's not as far from reality as I'd like." With a snap of his fingers, Burroughs projected an image.
It showed a graph of changes in his energy signature since his return to Jarillo-VI. The increase curve was so steep that even his abnormal vitality couldn't do much to contain it or prevent physical damage—that's where the golden cracks came from.
"Later, after talking with Burroughs, we decided to try something. If the problem is excess energy, could this be resolved if I used a more potent level than usual?" He said as Burroughs projected a video of the fight between the Mighty D-Dragon and G-Yuan.
"...Why did you make them like that?" Dan Heng asked expressionlessly. Aleph just looked away.
"That's not important. What matters is that yes, it did work, so I'm out of danger."
Meanwhile, March watched the spectacle with bright eyes.
"Can you do one of Svarog versus Pom-Pom?" She asked, eyes shining so brightly Aleph didn't dare say no.
Then Stelle stood up. Aleph stepped back, feeling something was wrong seeing her darkened expression.
"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?" She asked softly.
"I found out later, and… with Bronya, it slipped my mind." Aleph replied cautiously.
It seemed his answer wasn't right because Stelle looked even more upset.
Stelle grabbed her bat. Aleph reacted before she could raise it, escaping through the door while dodging the blows coming after him.
"You're a thoughtless idiot!" She yelled furiously while chasing him. "You made me worry so much I cried!"
In the hallway, footsteps and the echo of bat strikes marked the start of a chase that would only end when Stelle felt satisfied.
"I'll make you feel as much pain as you made me feel worry!"
************
After an hour of running and another hiding in Serval's workshop, Aleph decided it was best to keep some distance from Stelle until she calmed down a bit. With that thought in mind, he headed toward Underworld.
After a few minutes of walking and greeting a familiar face or two, he soon ran into Seele.
She looked at him with a hint of annoyance; the memory of the previous day still weighed on her, but she said nothing. After all, it was she who had chosen on her own to protect Aleph and Bronya's date, so she held back any colorful comments she might have wanted to throw at Aleph.
A sigh escaped her lips. Being a good friend was hard…
"Good morning, Seele." Aleph greeted her with a smile.
Suddenly, he remembered something—the last time he'd been here was because of what happened with Skott, and he hadn't even had time to ask how the people in the area were doing.
"Since you're here… want to grab something to eat?" He asked.
If it was Seele, chances were she had some information. Not as much as Sampo, but surely enough to tell him quite a bit.
Seele's brow furrowed a little more.
"Eat… with me?" She asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, why not?" Aleph replied, not seeing the problem.
In her mind, Seele analyzed the situation suspiciously.
Was Aleph trying to "extend his claws" toward her because he wasn't satisfied with Bronya? The very idea made her shudder with disgust.
Though that feeling faded when he continued.
"We're friends, right? We don't see each other that often… I thought it wouldn't be bad to eat together and chat for a while. I'd like to know what's been going on in Underworld since I left a while ago."
Seele looked at him, bewildered. Aleph looked away, a bit uncomfortable.
"Unless… did I misinterpret the whole 'we're friends' thing?" Thinking about it, his interactions with Seele had been minimal at best, and maybe he hadn't left a good impression. It was also somewhat hard for him to judge how close someone was; in his life before coming here, how many friends did he have? As far as he could remember, only Kevin, Mei, Su, Mike, and his childhood friend, Pado.
Seele sighed and shook her head before bursting out laughing at Aleph's downcast expression.
She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.
"No, dummy. We are friends." Her expression softened. "Alright, I accept."
Soon she puffed out her chest proudly.
"Hmph! But you better be ready to pay since you were the one who suggested it!" She said, pointing at him.
Aleph chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up.
.....
A while later, they were sitting in front of an improvised feast of roasted salamanders and special sausages from an old acquaintance of Aleph's food stand.
During his time in Underworld, Aleph had made a name for himself as a handyman and as a contender for the fighting championship title—though he never got to fight Luka in the end.
The stand's owner smiled contentedly. He was out of stock, but this time it was because he'd sold everything.
"Enjoy!" He said, leaving them some complimentary drinks.
While savoring the food, Seele looked at him curiously.
"So what are you doing in Underworld?" She asked, nibbling on a sausage without bothering to cut it.
"It's… complicated. Basically, I'm staying here until things settle down." Aleph shrugged. "I don't know why Stelle is mad at me."
He didn't like lying more than necessary, but there was no other choice here. Even though Seele was his friend, he couldn't tell everyone the truth about his situation.
She, for her part, recalled what had happened the day before and came to a simple conclusion: it was probably because of his outing with Bronya.
It was easy to imagine Stelle chasing him with a bat in hand. She tried to suppress her laughter so she wouldn't choke, but she really would've enjoyed being there to see Aleph running for his life.
At that moment, Joshua came over to greet them.
"Seele… huh? Aleph?" He was confused for a moment seeing a familiar face. "Well, good to see you."
"Hey, Joshua," Aleph replied with a smile.
"Natasha asked me to find you, Seele." His expression was completely serious. "She says it's urgent."
"Urgent?" Seele frowned, wondering what could have happened.
Aleph adopted a serious expression upon hearing the conversation.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to help."
Seele looked at him with a frown but finally agreed.
"Alright, let's go."
.....
Natasha greeted them at the entrance.
"Seele, just in time." Her gaze shifted to Aleph, a bit surprised to see him there. "And you too, you couldn't have arrived at a better moment."
Natasha opened the door and invited them inside.
"Lately, we've been running low on medical supplies. Bandages, medicines, even more basic materials are running out." She said, watching how Seele and Aleph's expressions grew much more serious. "I contacted some people in Overworld. They agreed to send supplies, but I need you to come with me to pick them up and help transport them here. Many Wildfire members are busy with other tasks, so there was no one else available."
Aleph and Seele exchanged a glance.
Joshua said goodbye to the three of them, as he had to get back to work.
"You can count on us." Seele replied, while Aleph nodded.
Before Natasha, Seele, and Aleph could leave the clinic, a young miner entered and pushed past them, carrying a small bag of medicine. Without a word, he approached Natasha's desk and set the bag down.
Seele and Aleph exchanged confused looks. Natasha frowned.
"Dwayne?" She called out, puzzled. "Why are you returning these medicines? You need them."
Dwayne looked at her with disdain and mockery.
"Ever since that miracle medicine showed up, I don't need to see you or accept anything from you anymore." He replied boldly. "Better give them to someone who actually wants them. I'm sure you'll find some sucker who trusts you."
Having said all he wanted, Dwayne turned and left.
Aleph cracked his knuckles, and Seele gave him a dangerous look—neither of them took kindly to that way of speaking to Natasha.
"Let it go." She said, stepping between them and the door. "It's not worth it."
The two reluctantly calmed down, though neither promised they wouldn't pay Dwayne a "friendly" visit later.
Natasha sighed, lowering her gaze to the medicines on her desk.
"He's the third person to do this in the past few days…" She said, putting the bag in a drawer.
Seele tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
Natasha looked at her as if surprised by the question, but then seemed to understand why.
"That's right. You've been helping upstairs with preparations for the Calisol Festival the last few days, right? Makes sense you didn't know anything." She said, nodding to herself. "There have been rumors circulating for days about a miracle medicine that can cure any disease. They also say I was the one who expelled—and almost killed—the genius doctor who created it from Underworld."
Seele clenched her fists, and Aleph frowned at her.
Neither said a word, but both felt uneasy seeing the somewhat distant expression on Natasha's face.
She noticed their expressions and gave them a faint smile.
"It's nothing." She said, brushing off their concerns. Then her tone grew more serious. "What worries me is that most Wildfire members have been busy trying to find out the truth about this. And if what I fear is true… the situation is serious. Very serious."
...
Seele and Aleph left the clinic shortly after.
Natasha had told them they would depart for Overworld in two hours, giving them time to prepare.
"So, what now?" Seele asked, crossing her arms.
Aleph leaned against the wall.
"I think we could use this time to blend in with the locals and see what else we can find out."
Seele looked at him like he'd said something stupid.
"And how do you think we'll find anything out?" She asked. "Like it or not, we're way too well known here. Nobody's going to spill rumors about Natasha in front of us, especially knowing we're close to her."
Aleph smiled and motioned for her to follow.
"Come with me."
They walked to a dark alley. Seele eyed him suspiciously.
"I hope it's not what it looks like."
Aleph rolled his eyes but didn't take her seriously.
"Relax." He said. He snapped his fingers, and immediately his magic wrapped them both in an illusion.
Soon their features changed, turning them into average, ordinary miners.
"Ohhh…" Seele exclaimed, surprised. "Well played, I forgot you could do that."
...
Time passed, and they returned to the meeting point. Aleph ended the spell with another snap, revealing their true appearances again.
One glance at each other's faces was enough to tell they'd heard unpleasant things.
"People won't stop slandering Natasha…" Seele started, frowning. "They say she ruined the doctor's career, exiled him, stole his discoveries… all to keep the miracle medicine from going public."
Aleph nodded.
"And from what I heard, the creator of that medicine was another doctor who worked here—the older brother of Natasha. Many claim the exile was just an excuse and that she actually personally killed him."
Seele shook her head.
"I don't believe the last part. Natasha isn't like that."
"I agree… but if she exiled him, why? I don't buy that jealousy nonsense, so it must have been for some other reason." Aleph squinted, thoughtful. "It doesn't make sense."
"They also keep repeating that name…" Seele added.
"'Mutual Support Association for Patients with Complicated Diseases'? Sounds like a blatant scam." Aleph said, frowning. "Not even Sampo would be that obvious."
"Many, like that idiot Dwayne, seem to be rejecting the clinic's treatment after joining that so-called association."
They shared a rather wicked smile.
"Hey Aleph, do you think we could use that weird thing of yours...?"
"Magic." Aleph said with a smug grin as an illusory dove flew out of his sleeve.
"Yeah, that." Seele cracked her neck. "Think we could infiltrate and see what they're up to..."
"...And if it's nothing good, beat them up? I like that we're on the same page."
They fist-bumped.
"Though we'll have to wait until we finish helping Natasha bring those medicines first."
**************
"Where's the meeting point?" Seele asked as they walked down the cobblestone street.
"At the fountain square, in the administrative district." Natasha replied without stopping. "My mother told me that's where we'd meet."
They walked a couple more minutes before Natasha stopped and looked at Aleph with some hesitation.
"Hey Aleph, since you spend more time in Overworld… do you have any idea what I could get my mom and dad as gifts?"
Aleph brought his hand to his chin, thoughtful. He took a moment before answering, then remembered the bouquet of peonies he had ordered hours earlier for Vaska to deliver to Bronya.
"Flowers." he said with a smile. "They never fail."
Natasha blinked, surprised, then let out a soft laugh.
"What's so funny?" Seele asked, curious.
"It's just that… in my family, we used to give each other flowers on special occasions. It was practically a tradition." Natasha explained, her expression growing melancholic as she added, "My older brother, Vache, loved that tradition."
Neither Seele nor Aleph asked any questions. They didn't want to pry beyond what she was willing to share.
...….
At the flower shop, Vaska greeted them with a smile.
"Aleph, your order has already been sent." she said kindly.
"Thanks, Vaska." He replied.
Seele raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Who did you send flowers to?"
"I sent them to Bronya. Why?" Aleph answered, confused.
She nodded, satisfied; at least Bronya wouldn't be the only one making the first move.
Natasha glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Do you know what those flowers mean?"
Aleph shook his head.
Natasha laughed again, and Aleph eyed her warily.
"Do they have a bad meaning?" He asked, concerned; he wouldn't want Bronya to get the wrong idea.
"No, but I'm not going to tell you." She answered with an enigmatic smile.
Aleph turned to Vaska for answers, but the florist smiled the same way.
"You'll have to find out on your own." She said.
Then she looked at Seele, who was trying to hold back a laugh, expecting Aleph to ask for an explanation so she could deny it. But he just shot her a quick glance and said nothing.
"Why didn't you ask me?" Seele protested.
Aleph looked at her disinterested.
"Huh? Well…" Aleph tilted his head. "Doesn't seem like the kind of thing you'd be interested in. Also, you probably have no idea what they mean."
Seele frowned, offended.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Aleph hesitated a moment before answering.
"…That Seele is more a woman of action than ideas?"
Seele's eyebrows twitched.
Wasn't that just a more subtle way of calling her an idiot?
"Oh, yeah, impulsive too." He added, as if he'd just remembered.
Seele stared at him expressionlessly for a few seconds before lunging at him, trying to strangle him. Aleph just held her head with one hand, using his considerable height advantage.
"Put me down!" She growled, kicking, while he laughed.
Natasha and Vaska watched the scene with amused smiles, not intervening.
...
After picking up the bouquet, they resumed their walk to the square. Aleph rubbed his hand, now marked with several bite marks. Seele snorted, refusing to look at him and crossing her arms. Natasha shook her head, amused by their childish behavior.
Soon they spotted the meeting point. Near the fountain, an older man in an impeccable butler's suit awaited them—Mr. Orwell. Next to him stood a refined-looking woman with a kind face: Vanessa, Natasha's adoptive mother.
"Mom!" Natasha exclaimed, running to hug her.
Then she warmly greeted Mr. Orwell.
"Thank you for taking care of my parents all these years."
"There's nothing to thank me for, Miss Natasha." He replied with a polite smile. "You've become a fine young woman. I still remember when you were a bit of a wild teenager… Oh, how did you like to be called back then?"
Vanessa laughed before answering.
"Wasn't it 'Raven'?"
Natasha, slightly blushing, quickly asked them to keep quiet about "certain episodes from the past," while Aleph and Seele exchanged curious glances.
"Where's dad?" She asked then.
Orwell and Vanessa's expressions darkened.
"Three years ago…" Vanessa said softly.
Natasha understood before they said anything.
"He passed without pain."
Natasha fell silent, her expression clouded with sadness.
"I'm sorry… I haven't been with you these past ten years. And even though Overworld and Underworld reconnected months ago… it's only now that I've come to see you beyond a few letters."
"It's not your fault, Nat." Vanessa replied, taking her hands. "Nor the communication blackout. Please don't blame yourself."
Natasha lowered her gaze.
"I wanted this to be a happy reunion… but right now, there are many people in Underworld who could be suffering from lack of medicine. That's why I came to see you, Mom. You're the only one who can help me now."
Vanessa smiled, with a touch of pride.
"I've heard what you do down there. Your father would be proud of you, and so am I. Our family has good connections with the medical school. There will be no problem helping you, whether with medicine or information."
"Thank you…" Natasha whispered, hugging her once more.
"We'll have our time to catch up." Vanessa added. "For now, keep working and making your father and me proud."
Natasha nodded.
Seele and Aleph took care of picking up the shipments.
**************
After helping Natasha carry the medicines and medical supplies to her clinic, Aleph stretched while Seele shook off the dust from her hands.
"Thanks for the help. Without you two, this would have taken all afternoon." Natasha said with a smile.
"No problem." Aleph replied calmly as Natasha entered the clinic.
Aleph and Seele said their goodbyes to her.
Both wore serious expressions. It was time to resume their investigation into the "Mutual Support Association for Patients with Complicated Diseases" and its mysterious "miracle medicine."
"Judging by Natasha's reaction…and what was said about the doctor who created that medicine, something tells me Vache's exile wasn't due to a misunderstanding." Aleph commented, hands in his pockets.
Seele, walking beside him, nodded.
"I wonder exactly what he did. Natasha doesn't seem like the type to distance herself from family over something minor."
Aleph snapped his fingers. Illusionist sprang into action, and in a blink, both changed their appearances again, different from before.
"We better keep changing our looks from time to time." He said. "I don't want to get recognized too soon."
...
For hours, alternating faces and outfits, Seele and Aleph gathered information.
Their first stop was Philip, a young miner sitting on a bench, staring at his hands.
"Did you… use the medicines from that Association?" Seele asked.
Philip nodded slowly.
"I was pretty sure it was just a cold… luckily, I was more cautious and found out it wasn't. They told me it could be something much worse and that I had to treat it quickly." He touched his arm, pressing the skin without flinching. "I lost most of the sensitivity in my body and my job…but at least I'm alive, right?"
Later, they ran into Dwayne again, the same idiot who showed up at the clinic before going up to Overworld with Natasha.
"My situation like Philip's? Nah." He snorted, shaking his head. "Unlike him, mine's congenital; I don't think there's a cure. The best thing was to give the medicine back and hope it helps others more. Yeah, I acted kinda dumb hoping to annoy Natasha and have her take them without much fuss."
Dwayne scratched his head.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have one last big meal. Maybe that miracle medicine will save me, but most likely Seele'll end up with it." He said casually.
Continuing their search, they met Zapphire, a woman muttering to herself while waiting outside the mine.
Aleph asked curiously who she was waiting for.
She smiled.
"I'm waiting for my husband and son." She said, staring toward the mine.
They left her there, and a few blocks later, crossed paths with Angela, an older woman who introduced herself as Zapphire's husband's mother.
She told them that both her son and grandson had inherited a congenital disease. Natasha administered treatments to ease symptoms, but no known cure existed.
"Then Doctor Vache came with his special medicine." Angela recounted, lowering her voice. "They improved… at least on the surface."
"A month later, both died. Zapphire never got over it."
Her hands trembled as she spoke.
"I'm the last one left to take care of her. When I'm gone… who will look after her?"
...
With all the information gathered, Aleph and Seele returned to Natasha's clinic.
She listened silently before speaking.
"My father was one of the best doctors in Belobog. Vache and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I don't know when he changed. He became cold, distant… even to us."
She paused, searching for words.
"He became obsessed with finding a cure for extreme cold. It all started when a friend of his in the Guard froze to death in the icy plains. After graduating, we moved to Underworld. He opened an institution that was both hospital and lab; I handled patients while he developed medicines."
Her face darkened.
"I should have noticed. I should have distrusted his intentions more. I started realizing something was wrong when several patients treated with his medicines began showing the symptoms you saw today."
Natasha sighed.
"When Oleg and I found out the truth, we expelled him. The institution later became an orphanage."
Seele was surprised, and Natasha nodded—it was the orphanage from her childhood.
"We think the Association found some of those old drugs." Seele commented.
Natasha clenched her fists hearing the rest of the information the two had gathered.
The Association charged exorbitant fees and allied with an Overworld doctor to give false diagnoses with an official seal.
"Unbelievable!" She exclaimed. "They play with people's health like it's just another business!"
Aleph put a hand on her shoulder.
"Let us handle it."
Natasha sighed, trying to compose herself.
"Be careful. Even being as strong as you are, you can still get hurt badly."
As they left the clinic, Seele looked at Aleph.
"What's the plan?"
Aleph just smiled.
"Force our way through?"
Seele shrugged.
"Straightforward. Just the way I like it."
.....
Seele and Aleph arrived at Rivet Town. According to the information they had gathered, the intermediary responsible for distributing the so-called miracle medicine operated there.
In a rundown house, they found the place where the intermediary sold the medicines.
"What do you need?" Asked one of the guards, giving them a scrutinizing look from head to toe.
"We're here for the miracle medicine." Aleph replied with studied neutrality. "We've heard it works even in severe cases."
"That's what they say." Added Seele, looking at him as if desperate for a solution. "But we want to know more."
The intermediary smiled and grandiosely explained the benefits of the medicine and its prices, but as the questions kept coming, his patience wore thin.
"Are you going to buy, or are you here to cause trouble?" He snapped irritably.
One of his guards leaned in and whispered something. The man frowned.
"The pharmacy's closed for today. I don't want to deal with anyone connected to that woman."
Around them, several people begged desperately, extending empty hands, pleading for the medicine. The intermediary dismissed them coldly, shutting the door without caring who he left outside.
Seele clenched her fists; Aleph placed a hand on her shoulder to remind her it wasn't time yet.
"Let's go." He said calmly.
.....
They hid in an alley until the group had moved far enough away. Seele's stealth made illusions unnecessary, but Aleph activated his anyway, blending their presence into the surroundings.
They followed the trio to a more secluded corner. There, the intermediary met with two men dressed in clothes far too fine for a place like that.
"It's incredible how easy it is to fool them." One laughed disdainfully. "They cling to any hope like rats scrounging crumbs." He poured some expensive-looking wine into a glass.
"And meanwhile, we fill our pockets." Added the other, raising his glass for a toast.
Seele felt anger rise in her throat. Aleph, with a similar expression, motioned for her to be quiet and showed that his phone had been recording since the start of the conversation.
"Patience." He whispered, leaning closer to Seele. "If we're going to take them down, it has to be in a way that no one can spin some nonsense about Natasha sending us to break their faces on her orders."
...
When the three finished talking, Aleph and Seele revealed themselves. The intermediary barely had time to give an order before the guards lunged at them. The confrontation lasted less than a minute; none of the attackers were on the level of a trained soldier, much less compared to Seele and Aleph.
"I think their inventory just went out of circulation." Aleph said, throwing a spark of Agi that set fire to the medicine crates. Smoke began filling the alley as the three men shouted threats that only made the two laugh.
They left them tied up and sprawled on the ground, and Aleph sent the video to Gepard and Pela as evidence. Then, they collected some papers with distribution lists and headed to destroy the remaining stockpiles.
...…
Hours later, back at the clinic, they found Natasha sitting behind her desk, holding a bundle of yellowed papers with a complicated expression.
"What's that?" Seele asked curiously.
"Letters." Natasha replied. "Mr. Orwell sent them to me… they're from Vache. Most were written years ago; they didn't arrive because of the blockade."
She carefully opened the first sheet and began reading aloud, seemingly indifferent to the presence of Seele and Aleph.
"Natasha:
I've had years to understand what you already knew. I don't deserve forgiveness from you or the people of Underworld. From the start, I was disqualified from calling myself a doctor, because I abandoned my patients for a chimera.
Exile taught me something I never wanted to learn: how could a child raised in warmth understand how to cure the cold? Thank you for giving me one last chance to find the answer.
I live in a rundown house on the snowy plains. My hands tremble, but not from the cold… every day I feel I'm closer. I cannot return; I am a pariah, and yet, for the first time, I know why I exist.
What I did in Underworld was shameful: I treated symptoms, not causes. Now I know the key to my 'Blizzard Immunity' is raising the entire body's temperature uniformly, without damage. I'm close, Natasha. So close…
I wouldn't have made it this far without you. Thank you."
The last sheet fell onto the desk, and the silence that followed was as dense as snow. Aleph and Seele said nothing.
Natasha looked up, meeting their eyes.
"I want to go to Overworld… to the snowy plains. I need to see him, one last time. Will you come with me?"
Seele nodded without hesitation. Aleph did the same.
*****************
The frozen plains stretched endlessly into a white horizon, where the wind dragged flakes like needles of ice. Natasha hugged herself, shrinking into her robe.
"It's hard to imagine anyone living in a place like this." She murmured softly.
Aleph looked around calmly.
"Believe me, this is almost spring weather compared to what it used to be when the Stellaron was still active." He said, rubbing his stomach—hunger was already starting to set in.
Seele nodded.
"I still remember how intense the cold was when we went to face Cocolia. It was insane."
...
They walked in silence, the crunch of snow beneath their boots accompanying their steps. It wasn't long before they encountered the first creatures of the fragmentum—vaguely humanoid beings with deformed shapes of ice and metal, emerging from the snow as if the storm had summoned them. Seele swung her scythe with a bored expression, and within seconds, the remnants shattered into a million pieces as they fell back into the snow.
"Easy." She commented, shaking off the blade before moving on.
A few meters ahead, Aleph crouched and brushed aside a pile of hardened snow.
Among the ice, crumpled sheets of paper with brittle edges appeared, surrounded by a couple of test tubes and glass containers with frozen residues inside.
"Uh… Natasha?" He said, holding up one of the papers against the dim light. "I think I found something."
Natasha hurried over.
"They're from Vache. I recognize his handwriting. If we're finding this here, there might be a lot more nearby."
She turned toward them both.
"I want to go deeper in. Knowing how meticulous my brother is, he wouldn't have left anything unrecorded."
They pressed on, and the cold began to intensify, biting at their skin even through layers of clothing. A white wall started closing in around them—a blizzard was forming fast. Even Seele frowned, shrugging at the icy impact.
Aleph, unfazed, took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
"You'll need it more than I will." He said, giving her no chance to refuse. With a snap of his fingers, he conjured a sphere of fire floating above his hand, radiating dense, steady heat. "Come closer. I'm not carrying two statues."
Natasha sighed gratefully at the warmth, but the storm showed no mercy. The blizzard battered them harder, cutting visibility. In the distance, Seele spotted a dark silhouette vaguely resembling a rundown house half-buried in snow.
"There." She pointed. "We can take shelter."
They dashed toward the structure, but a chilling roar blocked their path. From the snow emerged an Ice From Outer Space.
Aleph didn't bother to stop; in an instant, a blade of wind formed in his hand and sliced through the core, shattering it in an explosion of crystals. The creature collapsed, and the cold steam dispersed into the air.
...
Inside the house, the smell of damp wood and rusty metal mingled with silence.
Wooden tables held flasks, jars, and an old microscope. On a nearby table, Aleph found more sheets filled with formulas, diagrams, and notes written in the same handwriting as before.
"There's more here." He said, handing them to Natasha.
She took the papers carefully, scanning them with an analytical gaze.
Seele and Aleph settled by the door, watching the storm batter the outside. Through the gusts, they caught glimpses of some fragmentum monsters trapped outside, taking relentless hits from ice and wind.
Seele laughed watching them crash into each other.
"Didn't think I'd ever enjoy watching this."
Aleph chuckled.
"Not even nature wants them!"
Finally, both stood watching the chaos from the doorway, waiting for the blizzard to pass.
....
The storm died down after three long hours, leaving an eerie silence broken only by the crunch of snow under a gentler wind. Night had fallen, and the moon peeked through scattered clouds.
They had barely taken a few steps outside the shelter when a voice stopped them dead in their tracks.
In front of them stood a Guard Captain, closely followed by four guards, blocking their path.
"Uh…" Natasha murmured, leaning slightly toward Aleph. "I think it's illegal to leave Belobog for the plains without a permit. So… maybe we're in trouble."
Aleph sighed, and Natasha and Seele screamed in surprise as they felt hands on their waists.
"I'm way too young and handsome to end up in a cell!" He joked, preparing to run.
Seele started kicking and punched Aleph's back with her fist.
"Hey! Can't you just calm down a bit?!" Aleph growled.
"And can't you be a little gentler with a lady?!"
"Uh." Aleph said, confused. "Pretty sure I was gentle enough with Natasha."
Seele's expression darkened as she kicked harder.
The captain, after watching him for a moment, widened his eyes in surprise.
"Aleph? Didn't expect to find you here."
Aleph dropped Seele to the ground, surprised by the familiar voice—it was Dunn.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Dunn asked what they were doing there. Natasha, somewhat tense, gave a shortened version of their search.
To their surprise and confusion, both Dunn and his guards reacted with respect upon hearing Vache's name.
"Doctor Vache saved us more times than I can count." Dunn explained, noticing their surprise. "Out here, the cold kills almost as much as the fragmentum monsters. For years, that was one of our worst enemies… until his medicine appeared."
Natasha listened carefully.
Dunn continued.
"Thanks to that medicine, we can patrol and camp without fearing turning into ice sculptures."
Natasha's lips parted slightly as she murmured in disbelief.
"Immunity to the Blizzard…"
"And does it leave enough for everyone?" Aleph asked, curious.
"More than enough." Dunn replied. "It's so potent that half a bottle keeps you warm for a whole week. The problem is, we almost never see it. It's… elusive. In all these years, we've only found it once, and it wasn't much of a talker."
He explained that Vache always left the bottles in strategic places where patrols could find them.
However, they hadn't heard directly from him in two or three years.
"I hope he's alright." Dunn added worriedly, as the other guards nodded.
Natasha asked if there were any side effects. Dunn and the others laughed.
"Just one—while it's working, don't enter the city. The medicine makes your body produce extra heat to resist the cold. If you go inside without care, you'll get heatstroke worse than any blizzard."
When Natasha announced her plan to keep looking for clues in the plains, Dunn looked at her seriously.
"You shouldn't go out at night."
But seeing that nothing would change her mind, he handed her a small bottle.
"We still have more than half of the last shipment he left us. You'll need it."
After saying goodbye, the guards resumed their patrol. Natasha offered the medicine to Aleph, but he shook his head.
"Use it yourselves."
Natasha and Seele drank a small amount. Warmth spread immediately, drawing a sigh of relief from them.
"It's incredible…" Seele admitted with a satisfied expression.
They resumed their journey, facing more fragmentum creatures until they found another ruined house. Inside, among dust and broken glass, they found more of Vache's notes. Natasha took them carefully; her hands were steady but her eyes were dark.
"Do you miss him?" Aleph asked.
"Yes. Despite everything he did, he's still my brother." She replied without hesitation, putting the notes in her bag. "I've made up my mind. I'm going to finish what he started. I'm going to perfect the Immunity to the Blizzard."
She turned to them.
"But first… I need to ask you a favor."
Back outside.
Aleph summoned a block of ice with Bufu, and Seele carved it with her scythe. When they finished, a simple tombstone stood before them, engraved with Vache's name. Natasha stood silently in front of it.
"Come on, it's time to go back." She said, turning her back on Seele and Aleph.
Finally, they took the path back to Belobog.