The morning sunlight hit my cheeks.

  After a healthy breakfast of bacon and eggs, Morgan brought me to the rear of the facility: the outside testing grounds. They’d cleared about a track field’s worth of space for their more...volatile experiments. Very, very volatile. If you had a bird’s eye view and took a picture of the running cracks in the asphalt, you could sell it as art. Personally, I had a hard time walking over the protrusions and bumps; I couldn’t imagine pushing a cart or driving on this.

  In the event of a fight, the terrain might fuck us over.

  The geniuses didn’t seem to care, however, and practically skated across ice. Diligently, they hustled and carried with them equipment, information, or both. Having their eyes to the ground, they traveled between thick magical and electrical wires, using them as pseudo-lanes, toward the center. That’s where the experiment—the solution—was hooked up.

  Familiar heads talked amongst themselves, watching as small teams of engineers and scientists build our dream together.

  Just a couple months ago, Sophos had created a device that could send a message across the multiverse. Now, she designed the equivalent of a mousetrap. On a raised circular platform, six magisteel arms curved inward like ribs. Each one had strange, dim and embedded “vents." In the middle of the platform was a pedestal holding a thick metal cube with a built-in window as thick as a car door. Pixelated gas bubbled inside. Sophia.

  Approaching the platform, I saw it was apparently constructed on a tarp-parchment-thing. A magic circle or sigil was drawn from corner-to-corner, the ink and material unharmed despite the surrounding action and the glorified paperweight on top.

  There were likely more intricacies and nuances that my uneducated eyes were missing.

  “So what’s the idea?” I asked the team when I made my timely entrance, with Morgan hovering behind me.

  I’d snuck up beside Leo but she wasn’t startled—fucking murim-in and her honed senses. Complaints aside, beside her were Chie and Sophos.

  The latter smiled, holding a coffee cup with “GORGEOUS BEAUTIFUL GENIUS!” in big red letters. “Good morning to you, Conqueror, and you as well, Problem.” (“Mhm.”) “This, right here, is the greatest invention in human history.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Printing press, indoor plumbing, water filtration systems—”

  “Alright, there’s no need to damage my ego any further.” Sophos shook her head dismissively and sipped her coffee. “What you see here is our half-baked answer: the Starcatcher. As I said, we’re using Sophia’s…essence as bait to bring the Mother here.”

  I gestured to the magic circle and the platform. “That’s the how?”

  “Correct. Here’s a simple explanation for your muscled brain…”

  As it turns out, Sophos locking Sophia in her study wasn’t completely done out of sentimentalism. Her study existed “somewhere else other than Earth,” which (theoretically) hid Sophia’s presence from the Mother. It brought Sophos enough time to plan and build our ticket to peace. That led to capturing and preserving Sophia’s essence.

  Normally, releasing her as is… Well, she’d degrade before any noticeable effect could be produced. But, given a “proper environment” and a “reckless reactant,” then she could make a big enough splash that the Mother had to check it out.

  To do that, the magic circle provided the first ingredient: it created a demesne that’d suspend “an absurd amount of natural laws” while ensuring none of those alterations would affect the Starcatcher's performance. Then, Sophia would be released from her container, and the machine would blast her with “phenomenal energy” to cause a violent reaction. Sophos didn’t completely explain what this “energy” or “reaction” exactly were, but the Mother should notice regardless.

  However, we couldn’t predict the collateral damage. Attracting the Mother took priority, and once she showed herself…

  We had to take her down the old fashioned way.

  This operation assumed a lot of things: the Mother’s behavior, Sophia’s stability, standard magitech issues, and plenty more.

  But hey, you need to have faith in these kinds of situations.

  “What about Rei?” I asked. “Surely, you looked into his knack for detecting Alts.”

  Sophos hummed in the affirmative. “Of course, but given the constraints… I wasn’t able to come to a definitive conclusion without jeopardizing my newest masterpiece.”

  Morgan continued, “As a result, he’s on reserves like you, Conqueror. We found a spare sword for him to use in case it, err…” We all looked at the clear clouds. “In case it rains again.”

  “So everyone has said.” Sophos chuckled amusedly to herself. “After everything’s properly taken care of, I am more than happy to pick him apart on your behalf.”

  “...Maybe,” Chie said, counting the cracks in the asphalt.

  Her master read the lines between the words and replied, “If those vainglorious kitsunes can’t do it, then you know where I live.”

  Chie didn’t respond, and none of the other Angels did either. It seems like I encountered another secret of sorts; I guess they were referring to the Nine Foxmaidens of the Fushimi Clan. Wouldn’t be surprised if Angels had a significant connection with them, but under what circumstances…?

  Sophos cleared her throat and switched to a new topic: “Regardless, the operation begins when Kosmos arrives.”

  I picked my head up. “Kosmos? He’s coming here?”

  Leo nodded. “Yup. Given the severity of things, he decided to come back from Korea.”

  I glanced at Morgan and Chie. “...Why is he in Korea?”

  Leo smacked her lips together, probably realizing that she shouldn’t have disclosed that information. “That’s a conversation for another day, but Kosmos will act as insurance in case—well, when things go south.”

  Sophos scoffed and angrily sipped the rest of her coffee (ignoring the fact that she’d completely drank herself dry during the explanations). “I am insulted that you assume the Genius of Stars, Mythos-level Slayer, isn’t capable of handling things herself! But of course, you pigeons love your so-called ‘Shooting Star Miracle,’ even ripping him from his vacation in Korea.”

  Chie had a look of pity for her mentor. “...Do you wanna use [Original Magic]?”

  Sophos sputtered. “A-As much as my own SSS-Rank [Skill] can resolve this hiccup…” (I glared at her.) “...I’d rather use Phenomena’s gift in times of absolute necessity.”

  Morgan tiredly commented, “Ah, so the most annoying witch in the city is only useful for her hare-brained contraptions—”

  Sophos grabbed him by the hood.

  “...Please let go of my hood—” (“No.”) “—well, this isn’t ideal.”

  ***

  The morning passed as the geniuses inched closer to completion, and we entered well into the afternoon. Kosmos hadn’t arrived yet because he had to finish “emergency business” in Korea first as per Leo. For us Angels—barring Morgan and Chie—all we could do was stand around and occasionally help.

  We were the muscle, but given our previous track record with the Alts, we weren’t the most reliable.

  We really needed Kosmos.

  I’d only seen him once in-person and that was two years ago while I was in Ordo University. Systemic Works had its spring commencement ceremony, and Kosmos appeared as a surprise guest. Asshole stole the show from the new generation, heh, but it made headlines and got the new graduates all excited.

  Otherwise, that’s it. Like everyone else, we only knew him through clips, social media, TV, and unsubstantiated claims.

  Now, we were allies. He knew my name and I knew his.

  I was comrades with the strongest Slayer in the world. Pretty crazy to think about, right?

  I wasn’t the only one thinking about this.

  “Yes, Kosmos-sama will have this handled…” Rei muttered, pacing back and forth. He had two scabbards attached to the hip, both western-style swords, but he assured the team that he knew how to use them. “Certainly, he will…”

  I tapped Rei’s shoulder and he jumped like a startled cat. “Easy, Rei. You alright? Is it the, uh, senses?”

  Rei rapidly nodded and his fingers instinctively curled around a hilt. “I cannot get rid of this sinking feeling of dread, senpai. I’m not sure if my anxiety is caused by ‘Sophia’ or the general atmosphere…”

  You had to feel bad for the kid. To feel the Mother’s constant—and surely tragic—presence was… That’d be a lot of emotional weight on a boy his age.

  I offered, “Talking about it might help. You have a good track record with the Alts, like with Lyressa.”

  “Yes, Lyressa—erm, Silverhonor-san.” Rei glanced at the sky before quickly returning to me. I wasn’t going to ask about his relationship with rain. Not yet. “The Alternates really are strange breachers. I… Alexander-senpai, I have a strange question.”

  I shrugged. “I won’t give a strange answer.” (“Eh?”) “I mean, I’ll give you a straightforward answer.”

  “Right, thank you. Uhm, the Alternates, are they deserving of our pity? They shouldn’t be here. They’re unnatural. They’re monsters! They’ve… They’ve stolen the bodies of our loved ones and tarnished their memories, living a lie that only they know—imposters, all of them! It’s unforgivable! They ought to be—!” Rei stopped himself, death-gripping the sword and biting hard on his own lip. After a couple seconds, he relaxed, though his hand remained on the hilt.

  “I-I’m sorry for raising my voice, senpai. After seeing Zhu Xinyue and Silverhonor, I could feel their sorrow. They both lost something incredibly dear to them, but they’re breachers. Shouldn’t we be disgusted with their existence?”

  I… I wasn’t expecting this amount of conviction from the kid. Look at me, I keep underestimating the fearsome Amamizu Rei. If he was already thinking about these things, then it was on me to guide him on the proper path.

  With my heart then, I engaged him, “Why’s that?”

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  “Huh—? Because they’re breachers. Slaying them is our duty. Don’t you believe the Alternates, as disgusting as they are, should be slaughtered, senpai?”

  Again, his conviction startled me. For someone as hopelessly naive as him, where was he getting this darkness?

  I gave him a one-shoulder shrug. “The Alternates didn’t ask to be created. To me, they’re less than a monster and more a—what is it?—they’re an ugly reflection of what-could’ve-been. You said they’re living a lie. You’re right. They lived a lie so we can live ever more thankfully for the truth.”

  Rei twisted from discomfort. “What if… What if that ‘truth’ is a greater lie?”

  “Then make it the truth.” Mom and Dad flashed through my eyes. “That’s your duty to uphold more than a Slayer or a kensei; it’s yours, as Amamizu Rei.”

  “But…” Rei pressed his lips together, and they trembled. He stared at the cracked asphalt for a heartbeat or two, then loudly exhaled, purging everything from his lungs. “Thank you for answering, senpai. I’ll remember your words.”

  He didn’t look resolved.

  I asked, “You good, though?”

  Rei shortly nodded. “Mhm. Whatever happens, we’ll slay the Mother.”

  “We’ll give her peace.”

  His eyes briefly widened, then they softened. “Yes… We’ll give her peace.”

  That’s right. Although Zhu Xinyue had committed an undeniably awful act, although we still didn’t know a thing about Lyressa’s past life—although Sophia Sagan had given up on her pursuit of knowledge—shedding a tear for them wouldn’t be a bad thing.

  *

  “You know…” Aiden sat down on a crate, eating a cookie and watching the geniuses work. “I noticed something off ‘bout the Alts: the ones we encountered were all female.”

  “Except for my dad,” I corrected.

  Aiden tilted his head toward me. “An ugly-as-donkey-balls woman, pardon me." ("Fuck you.") "From Lyressa’s description of the Mother, maybe she’s—I dunno—fond of those stories. Tragic ones.”

  I was reminded about Nathan and Sophia. I said, “It’s a decent theory, but trying to pin down the Mother’s logic is a losing battle.”

  Aiden scoffed and took a chunk off the cookie. Rudely while eating, he talked, “Who says I’m playing detective like you, huh? I was just thinking.”

  To show no harm, I put my hands up. “Sorry for engaging in a conversation with you, FB. Next time, I’ll ignore your thoughts.”

  “Tch, you’re askin’ for another asswhooping.” Aiden finished the rest of his cookie and wiped the crumbs off his palms. “More than you already took, I mean. You sure you wanna stay here?”

  “You sound actually concerned for my well-being.”

  Aiden snorted and shook his head. “The bare minimum. The way I see it? You’re mostly dead weight besides from your brain, but you’re not using it now, right?”

  “Only for snarky comments and entertaining dull conversations, but yeah.”

  “Exactly. If it was my choice, you'd be shipped back home to your cute family. We can’t afford to worry ‘bout you any more than we already had.” Aiden crossed his legs, thinking. “...How are you takin’ it, though?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Being called ‘dead weight’ or…?”

  “No, the mastermind-thing. You’re surprisingly chill ‘spite knowing your otherself started this mess. Aren’t you the least bit curious about what sorta life he led?”

  I had to admit: I’d be lying if I wasn’t the tiniest bit curious, but it was exactly that. A tiny bit of curiosity. Everything else took precedence. That’s what I told Aiden: “I have things to do. An existential crisis isn’t on the list unfortunately.”

  Aiden chuckled like that was funny. He muttered, “You’re gonna be so fuckin’ annoying…”

  “Hey, I’m not spending mental energy worrying about a life that’s literally not in this Worldline.”

  “But it’s still you.” Aiden wagged his finger up-and-down. “Remember the Similitude Theory? Worldlines rhyme more times than they don’t, and that goes the same for our otherselves. In the next Line over, Alexander Shen might be signing up for a castle as we speak.”

  I crossed my arms. “And in the Worldline after, he’s speaking to the Aiden Brand who calls himself ‘Frostbite.’ Even if our otherselves live similar lives, what’s the point in acknowledging them?”

  Aiden held a long pause. “Because they might be living better. They prolly aren’t shackled with what we have.”

  I glanced at the scar showing through his shirt. “Or maybe, we’re all punished by the same bullshit no matter where we go.”

  “Maybe, yeah, makes me glad the Mother didn’t target me. Let’s say, though, you found an otherself like that. Would you trade your life for his?”

  I refused to answer his question.

  "I'd make the trade, hundred times outta hundred."

  I didn’t peg Aiden as an existentialist. On the internet, you could find entire forums dedicated to this topic: you and your otherselves. There were the narcissists, believing their otherselves were just as great as them; on the other end were the downtrodden, wishing they could replace their lives for another.

  As I said, I didn’t want to think about that stuff.

  It was a rabbit-hole I wouldn’t be able to escape from.

  *

  “Really? Aiden was thinking about that?”

  “How silly.”

  I found Chie and Morgan taking a break together, having speaking about the Starcatcher before my rude interruption. I sat down with them. “I don’t blame him for being preoccupied with that stuff.”

  “Perhaps.” Morgan was levitating a ham sandwich; it disappeared into his hood, then popped out with a chunk missing. “I’d rather focus on the future. Whatever the conclusion we arrive at, we’re breaking uncharted territory here. Admittedly, I’m sort of excited.”

  Chie rested her chin on the table. “I’m excited about going back home and finally sleeping for eight hours.” She then whispered to herself, “And catch up on my games.”

  While I couldn’t see Morgan’s face, I sensed he rolled his eyes. “Ignoring the obvious irony of what I’m about to say, a young girl like yourself shouldn’t waste her time on those…banal things.”

  Chie puffed her cheeks like a porcupine and its spines. “And do what? Read dense scientific journals and esoteric tomes from who-knows-where?”

  “You just described an ideal evening.” The sandwich went in, and it came out smaller. “Honing your craft is always time well spent. I can’t say the same for low-brow entertainment like your games.”

  “What are you calling ‘low-brow’?!” Chie sat up from her seat, the demon in her awakening. “Alex—!” (“Huh?”) “—you disagree with him, right?!”

  They were both looking toward me for an answer. Somehow, I found myself in the possibly most dangerous position in the world. I nervously laughed. “My sister’s obsessed with webtoons, so there’s that.”

  Chie pointed at Morgan. “See!”

  “He didn’t answer your question, but alright.” Morgan finished the rest of his sandwich and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’m just giving you some advice, Chie. It’s a privilege to waste your limited years on unfulfilling video-games and animes.”

  Something changed in Chie. The offense she held shifted, silently, into animosity. She sat down, crossed her arms, and looked anywhere other than her two colleagues at the table. It was like we had upset our teenage cousin.

  “I'm not wasting anything, not like you,” she muttered to herself and said nothing more.

  Morgan smacked his lips together. I shook my head, signaling to cut the conversation there, but he stupidly blabbered, “I'm more than guilty of the crime. I paid my sentence. I became wiser. Every second is a choice, so when the hand strikes midnight, I hope to present God or whoever’s out there with my magnum opus.”

  Chie didn’t reply.

  “You think every waking moment should be devoted to research?” I replied instead.

  “Ideally. We’re on the precipice of something greater than ourselves, Alexander. We cannot afford any half-measures. Every sacrifice we make, we should spill our blood as gloriously as possible. After all…” Morgan tapped his own head. “That’s why I’m like this.”

  “You’ve given up your body? I thought you were forcibly cursed.”

  “I was, but it opened several doors that would otherwise be closed. Due to my physical impediments, I had to rely on my magic to make up the difference. As a result, I became more proficient. I like to think the same logic applies to other processes: for the price of human advancement—to step into the greater cosmos and the space beyond—what would you pay for such a thing?”

  I spotted Sophos nearby, speaking with a few of her engineers.

  Morgan saw her too and chuckled. “For Sophos? She’ll foolishly refuse to pay.”

  I wasn’t a pioneer, not like Morgan and Sophos. They could argue over the philosophy of their work; it had nothing to do with me. My feelings probably aligned similarly to Chie’s; we would rather focus on ourselves and figure out how to best use the time we got.

  *

  “Hey there, pretty boy.” You know, I was so excited to talk with Leo but now I wanted to file a sexual harassment complaint. A part of me actually was tempted to walk away; however, a pesky thing called “camaraderie” kept me here.

  As Leo polished [Twin Heavens] on a bench, I said, “I think you’re talking about a different man. I didn’t have time to put on my makeup this morning.”

  Leo giggled and held [Mother] to the afternoon sun, checking the gloss on the flat. “What brings you here? Are you trying to, dare I say, improve the [Memento] between us?”

  “If you flirt with me one more time, I’ll bump it back down to an F.”

  “Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing.” She placed [Mother] to the side and brought [Father] onto her lap. “I’m just happy for you, y’know? How does it feel having added two new [Mementos] to your arsenal?”

  I stared at my hands and arms like I’d find the answer written between my scars. “Overall? I’m exhausted but also excited. I have a few different theories I want to test out. Another time, another place, though.”

  “I imagine. You have a different look in your eyes, you know that? Before, you were hopelessly gloomy and pitiful—” (“Uh huh.”) “—now? There’s a spark. I like it. It’s a good look on you.”

  There she goes again. She must’ve kept a closer eye on me than I thought.

  I said, “I look like I actually want to be here?”

  “I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but yeah.”

  It was all thanks to her. Leo had taken a chance and brought the most catastrophic family to Angels Guild. On that note… “Let me ask you something, princess. When you offered us wings, why make a gamble in the first place? You hardly knew us. We were trouble—that’s why Aiden’s giving me the side-eye—so why risk it?”

  “Why? That’s…” The dopey look on her face was wiped off because of my question, and she stopped polishing [Father] to contemplate. “That’s definitely a question to ask, mhm… I guess it’s because of our conversation back at the hospital.”

  I recalled some of the stuff I’d shared. “When I threw everything out there? Was I that ‘gloomy and pitiful’ that you had to recruit me on the spot?”

  “No, that’s not what I mean, jackass. It’s…” Leo inhaled, a reflective gloss coming over her eyes. “I saw a little bit of myself in you: the ugly, the bruised, the scaredy-cat. In fact, I was in your exact spot."

  Without thinking, I was suddenly sitting next to her on the bench. “That right?”

  Leo laughed and nodded like those memories were hilarious. “Yeah. When I dropped out of Baekyong three years ago, I had no fucking clue what I wanted to do. Should I go back to the Demonic Cult? Should I stow away on Hwarang’s airship? Should I go solo? However, someone had other plans for me. Guess who.”

  “Is it… Is it Kosmos?”

  “Yup. He convinced me to spend a few years in Ordo as a way to ‘pick myself up.’ I’ll admit, I’m still not fully there. Hell, I haven't moved a single step since then.” Leo rested her chin on her hand, giving me her full regard. “Guess we have that in common, don’t we? We’re both absolute disasters, but we’re alive. Maybe that’s why I offered you wings: so I can feel better about myself.”

  Feeling the gentle intensity of her caramel eyes was… They dried my throat. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to cry, laugh, or all of the above. I said, “Leo—”

  “I’m joking. I wanted to help you, Alex, like how Kosmos helped me.” Leo looked off at the rest of the experiment-grounds, staring at nothing in particular. A pressure I didn’t realize was lifted from my chest. “Isn’t that all we want? For someone to believe in us while we kick and scream that they’re wrong?”

  …She was purposefully trying to develop our [Memento], wasn’t she?

  I looked at what caught her eye: nothing. “I guess so, princess.”

  Leo snickered and dispelled her twin-blades, all so she could playfully bump her shoulder into mine. “You should try opening up more. I bet there's a lovely person inside."

  “‘Lovely’? That’s probably the worst word you could use, and I heard it all.”

  “Proving my point exactly, lovely—” (“Stop calling me that.”) “Then stop calling me ‘princess’ and we have a deal.”

  I bit my tongue.

  “There you have it. I guess I’ll be calling you that from now on, lovely.”

  I really do hate my life.